Gals Again
by SuperKateB
Summary: The Galactic Sailors are back, and against a new enemy. But, lo-and-behold, there are new soldiers, new characters, and a whole lot of new action! -- Sequel to "Totally Galactic"
1. Never a Dull Moment

Never a Dull Moment  
  
Author's Ramblings: That's right! We're BACK! With new stories, new plot   
twists, and we're ready to have more fun than any of you readers will ever  
be able to swallow! This season is going to out-shadow the first... Or so   
we hope. It's a tough act to follow, isn't it? But, we'll try.  
And now, without further adieu--on with the show!  
Note: We've decided that, in Japan, there are 5 years of high school.   
Why? Because we kind of NEED it to be so. School goes to grade 13. Okay?  
************  
  
A lot can happen in three years. That's how long it's been since the world  
was saved. Three years.   
  
And that, my friends, is where it all beings... Late winter, three years   
later...  
************  
  
She was bored out of her skull.  
In front of the class sat her old, fat, bald teacher, droning on   
about Crystal Tokyo's police forces and outlining crime rates in a rather   
religious manner as the other nineteen students in the class paid rapt   
attention.  
But she could care less.   
It was boring. Indescribably boring. Glancing out the window, she   
allowed a slight, shy smile to pull upon her pale lips. At least she had   
lunch the next period. She could go eat with her two friends and gossip.  
The smile faded. Three years ago, the mere thought of gossiping had   
been foreign and impossible. She had duties... More duties than anyone   
would ever understand. She had been one of...  
"The Sailor Scouts. They were powerful, smart, and very well   
trained. Without them, the world would have ceased to exist."  
Her green eyes widened as she stared, aghast, at the teacher. The   
Scouts? He was actually talking about the Galactic Sailor Scouts? She was   
amazed. No teacher had ever...  
"Ms. Yuuichirou," the man said suddenly, glaring daggers at her as   
she gazed vacantly at the green chalkboard. The BLANK, green chalkboard.   
"I am glad that you find the chalkboard interesting, but please choose to   
study it when lecture notes are written up there." Getting no response   
from the teen, the man furrowed his brow. "Are you trying to start   
something?"  
Shaking her head quickly, she brushed a few ebony locks from her   
eyes. "I'm sorry, sir," she apologized, bowing her head and studying her   
clear nail polish. "I just thought I heard you mention the Sailor Scouts,   
and..."  
"I did mention them," he responded, walking toward her with a   
slightly surprised expression on his face. "They saved the world, and I   
assumed the class would like to know about them more. Without the   
Scouts..."  
"They didn't do it alone," she put in, interrupting him boldly as   
she glanced up from her desktop. "They had help from the Planet   
Mistresses, you know."  
He blinked his two brown eyes once, then twice, as though she'd just  
announced herself to be the Queen of the Earth in disguise. "You..." He   
gulped. "I didn't think that you paid any attention to contemporary   
history."  
She smiled shyly at first, but she quickly allowed that smile to be   
replaced by a full-out grin. "I pay attention to a lot more than that,"   
she supplied rather quickly, standing up and pacing to the front of the   
room. "I know more about the Galactic Sailors than anyone else in this   
room. Would you like to hear it?"  
The class full of 12th-graders practically roared as the sixteen-  
year-old sat down on the edge of her teacher's desk. "It all started about  
three years ago," she began timelessly, her mysterious green eyes knowing   
and her beautiful raven hair sparkling in the winter sun that flowed   
freely through the window.   
And everyone listened as Tara Yuuichirou told the story in a proud,   
strong voice, but none of them realized what she was really telling. It   
wasn't the story of the Galactic Sailors.  
It was her life story.  
************  
  
"Come back here!" She ran as quickly as she could down the stairs,   
observing that--no matter how hard she tried--her paws would never be able  
to keep up. That little pest had energy. And stamina. And she was from   
the Silver Millennium.   
Some miss-match.   
The calico continued across the dance floor, paying no heed to   
either the yells from behind her or to the sound of Phoebe's radio which   
had--without a doubt--been left on when the teen had mounted the staircase  
at four a.m. that morning to actually go to bed. The cat jumped over a   
large pile of dirty towels, clearing it deftly, and turned just fast   
enough to avoid running into an enormous mound of old newspapers.   
But her opponent, who was about a third her own size and much, much   
quicker, continued to run, giggling as she winked a blue eye at the older   
cat. "Having trouble, Mama?" inquired the tiny black kitten with a grin.   
"Am I too fast?"  
"When I get my paws on you, Carina," growled Orion, lowering her   
eyes as she jetted under a folding chair and started back up the stairs   
after her offspring, "you will no longer have the ability to run."  
The kitten just laughed and turned sharply at the top of the stairs,  
tearing across the kitchen. From atop one of the green counters, two other  
young cats watched with interest. "She's toast," said a slightly chubby,   
smiling tan kitten.   
The other kitten, a green one, nodded in agreement. "But will she   
ever learn?"  
"No," answered her companion. "I wonder why we're not driving Mama   
and Papa crazy, though..."  
"Because we're smarter than that, Galileo," came the quick response.   
With a smile, the young male cat rubbed up against his sister. "I'm   
so glad we're smarter, Ara," he told her in a confidential tone. "They'll   
need to grow up if they're to be Guardians."  
She had been smiling, but the smile faded as her gold eyes looked   
away from her brother and down at the tile floor. "Yes, they will," she   
uttered softly, sighing deeply. "We all will. Slowly, but surely, we will   
have to accept our destinies and embrace them with a bold, knowing smile."  
Ara shook her head and continued to focus on the floor. "That is our only   
way of living."  
Galileo looked at her, brown eyes confused. "What on Earth are  
you..."  
"CATCH THAT KITTEN!" A blur of silver fur flew through the kitchen,   
followed by a rather large orange-and-white tomcat. "I swear, when I get   
my paws on her..."  
The silver blur doubled back and leapt atop the oak table in the   
center of the room just long enough to wink a bright green eye. "Never a   
dull moment!" she announced to her siblings before flying off in the   
direction that she had come from a moment before.  
Rolling his eyes, Galileo jumped off his perch and landed on the   
floor with a rather loud 'plop'. "Why us?" he sighed with a shake of his   
head. "Two hyperactive siblings and never a moment's peace..."  
Ara joined him on the floor, stretching her long limbs as she   
glanced at him. "But I suppose that's the way it was meant to be." She   
sat upon her haunches, expression thoughtful. "Our destinies were, after   
all, set out long before we were born, so perhaps those two have been like  
this since the beginning of time."  
Her brother made a face. "Then I feel bad for Fate."  
"So do I," agreed the taller, slender young cat. "So do I."  
There was a lengthy pause as the two sat in companionable silence.   
Ever since they were tiny kittens just out of the womb, the two of them   
had been inseparable. They were like two peas in a pod, really--completely  
mature while their two sisters were nothing but furry balls of energy.   
Sometimes, it was frightening how alike they were, but other times...  
Galileo smiled slightly. "Why does Mama want Carina and Cassiopeia   
so badly, anyway?" he inquired of his sister, glancing sideways at her.   
The other kitten smiled. "Those two made quiet a mess of Miss   
Phoebe's sewing basket this afternoon," she responded, walking slowly   
towards the sound of scuffling.   
He laughed. "How are we to know that Miss Phoebe didn't do it   
herself?" he asked with a grin, stepping around a rotting banana peel.  
She smiled one of her private, mysterious smiles. "That's a really   
good question," she nodded, glancing at the mess of a house that they   
resided in. "We should ask Mama and Papa that someday..."  
And they went off to aid in the capture of their siblings.  
************  
  
The sound of metal against metal rang through the thick, cloudy air   
as the two young warriors glared at one another, weapons raised. The cape   
of one and the skirt of the other were ruffled in the freezing wind as the  
boy slowly stumbled backward, defending himself from wrathful blow after   
wrathful blow with the large, purple rod. The girl's eyes, like a cat's,   
watched him as beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. "Ready to give in,  
yet?" she mocked him, a smile playing on her lips.  
He pushed forward without resolve, gritting his teeth as he swung   
the rod. His arms tingled as metal clashed with metal. "Why can't we do   
something else?" he begged, whining slightly.  
She moved away, watching as he stumbled forward and nearly ran into   
one of the many white marble pillars that dotted the landscape. "That's a   
good question," she admitted with a slight nod, leaning on her staff as   
she smiled slyly at him. "Mother? What do you have to say?"  
The woman, who had been watching the proceedings in silence, neared   
the duo. She was tall and shapely--exotic, some would say--with green-  
black hair falling from the crown of her head and downward, ending well  
past her knees. Garnet eyes that had seen all and would forever see all   
darted to each of the warriors. And a small smile crossed her lips and   
alit her eyes with a private appreciation. "I suppose Daddy will want us   
home soon," Sailor Pluto admitted, placing her hands on her hips as she   
glanced down at the two children. "As will Auntie Alex."  
The little boy grinned at this and looked up at his mother. "Do you   
suppose she'll play with me?" he inquired of the woman, red eyes   
glittering in excitement.  
Scoffing, the girl tossed her hair--hair the same exact hue of   
Sailor Pluto's--behind her back and crossed her arms, allowing her Key   
Staff to fall, discarded, to the cloud-covered floor. "We have better   
things to do than play with our aunts, Peter," she chided her brother in   
an adult voice. "Our destinies are more important..."  
"We're not yet four years old!" he returned sharply, eyes suddenly   
filled with anger. "Just because we look like we're older doesn't mean we   
are, Aeris!"  
"Well, some Master of Time YOU'LL make!" she snapped, hands   
clenching into fists as she turned to him and lowered her multi-colored   
eyes. "All you are is a little kid!"  
Peter laughed aloud, but it was a mocking, bitter laugh. "Do you   
really think we're adults?" he questioned of her, voice growing louder.   
"I think that you've had one too many cups of chamomile tea!"  
As the bickering between the twins continued, Sailor Pluto shook   
her head and massaged the bridge of her nose. They didn't understand what   
was coming--how could they? The training, for them, was just a slight   
necessity that came out of being the children of a Planet Mistress. And   
the fact that they would someday control time held no fear for them. Then   
again, that was how it had to be. They had to learn.   
And learning was always the beginning of something greater. Or so   
she, the Guardian of Time, had once been told when she was a child. If   
she had been a child.  
"Shall we go home." It was not a question as she smiled slightly at   
her children.   
The brunette boy picked up his Time Staff. Except for the lack of a   
Garnet Orb, the staff was identical to his mother's. And his sister's   
staff was identical to his. "I suppose so, Mama," he responded, shooting   
a stony glare at his twin sister. "I should like to play in the snow with   
Aunt Alex."  
Aeris picked up her staff but didn't say a word to either of them.  
Sailor Pluto smiled to herself and held back a chuckle. Sometimes,   
her children were just too cute for words.  
And there was a flash of crimson light, and all three of them were   
gone, leaving the Gate of Time empty and abandoned.   
Leaving the Gate of Time as it had been before that fateful day   
three weeks prior, when Sailor Pluto had decided--along with her soul   
mate--that it was finally time to start training the future warriors.  
And, perhaps, she had been right in deciding that.  
************  
  
Her gray eyes stared out across the city as she sat upon the couch.   
She was supposed to be listening to the lecture. She was supposed to be   
paying attention...  
She watched a large, colorful bird soar across the blue sky. It   
looked so happy, so at peace... It wasn't forever trapped behind marble   
walls with two loving--but strict--guardians who wouldn't give her a   
moment's rest. She wanted to be out there. Among the clouds. After all,   
her REAL mother had come from there, so why couldn't she...  
"Are you listening?" The voice, usually sweet and soothing, was   
harsh.   
Paling and clenching her teeth, the little girl turned her head from  
the window and smoothed the skirts of her white dress. "It's not that I   
wasn't listening, sir," she quickly apologized in her reverent, high   
voice. "It was that I was distracted..."  
He shook his head. "When will you learn, Ambriel?" he questioned in   
an annoyed tone. "It's not that we are trying to be the bad guys, here..."  
The blonde woman, who had taken care of the girl from day one,   
smiled gently. "Because only one of us is." She shot a meaningful, if not   
stern, glance at the silver-haired man. "I frankly think that if a   
certain young man by the name Helios would just lighten up, then..."  
The man resisted his growing temper and shot an annoyed glare at the  
handmaiden. "Lisa, you are really not helping," he growled. "This girl   
was..."  
"Out playing in the mud." The woman stood and rose to her full   
height, which was nearly half a foot shorter than the young man. "Like a   
normal girl. She's five years old, Helios! And I promised to take proper   
care of her, which would include letting her have fun!"   
"Fun?" Helios roared, blue eyes almost hateful. "She's to run an   
entire RELIGION as an adult! Did Martin Luther play in the MUD, Lisa?"  
The handmaiden glared up at him. "When he was five, probably!" she   
shot back.  
"Well, I think that..."  
"I wish Mama was here."  
Both of the angry adults froze and turned their heads, then their   
whole bodies, toward the little redheaded girl who sat on the enormous   
pink couch. Her gray eyes were teary, and one of her lips was held firmly   
between her teeth. "I mean, I wish a lot of things," Ambriel continued,   
standing up and walking slowly toward the duo. Her slightly muddy white   
sandals hit the floor with resounding flops as she neared the two of them,  
"but, without Mama, nothing works out right."  
The wistful expression on the little girl's face could have melted   
lead, and Helios felt a lump begin to grow in his throat. Over the past   
three years, he'd become close to the little foundling girl. She was his   
Princess' little pet, really--when the redheaded nymph said 'jump', the   
Princess of the Earth asked how high. And he'd watched in amazement as the  
child had cozied up to him with a much lower track record of success. He   
was not normally one to be uptight or strict, but the child had a destiny   
beyond even her wildest dreams. And all Reeny and Lisa could manage to do   
was spoil the child.   
But her gray eyes were watering, her face so alight with hope, that  
he couldn't help but let out a long sigh and crouch down to her height,   
smoothing the hair of her ponytail. "Well, sometimes, some certain things   
are a little more important than sitting around here with all of us."  
Ambriel pouted. "Like what?" she inquired.  
Rolling blue eyes, Lisa walked up to the girl and put her hands on   
her hips. "Like college." She shook her head and wagged a finger at the   
child. "We've been through this more times than I can count," she reminded  
in a scolding tone. "And every time, you screw your face into a little   
pout and ask why." She saw Ambriel's nose wrinkle and knew that the girl   
understood perfectly. "Now, I'm all for you to grow up like a normal   
child, but will you please just admit that Reeny goes to college and get   
over it?"  
The child looked to Helios, who nodded solemnly and stood without a   
word. Making a face, she turned away from the adults and glanced out the   
window.  
Another bird flew past.  
A bird... She sighed. A bird could embrace its destiny. A bird could  
become what it was to become. Every bird had the supplies to become its   
future self.  
Her 'supplies' were all in a locked box. On a shelf. In a safe. A   
safe that only her mother could get into.  
"I want to be Angel Moon," she announced weakly, tossing her hair   
behind her back. "I want to be a destined warrior. Don't you think I'm old  
enough, Lisa? Don't you think I'm ready, Helios-papa? Don't you think..."   
She turned back around and let out another long sigh.  
The adults had left her alone. Alone once again.  
"I want to be SOMETHING," she exhaled, the words echoing through her  
lofty chamber. "Is it my fault that I don't know when I can be it?"  
No one answered her...  
Not that anyone would.  
************  
  
"I need cones," she muttered, riffling through the large walk-in   
supply closet as the sounds of teens playing volleyball echoed through the  
large gymnasium and into her ears. "Cones... Cones..."  
A voice came from behind her, and she jumped into the air in fright.  
"The third box on the left, second shelf." A blue-haired girl in a pair of  
gym shorts and a too-big sweatshirt bounced into the closet, her eyes   
glittering in amusement. "Don't you have a pee-wee soccer practice in an   
hour?" she asked, leaning against the wall as her brunette friend opened   
the suggested box and drew out quite a few day-glow green sports cones.   
"Because Harbor Elementary gets out twenty minutes before we do, and this   
is my second-to-last class..."   
"Phoebe, can you PLEASE be quiet?" snapped the brunette, turning on  
her friend as she ran a hand through her waist-length brown hair. The   
other girl was taken aback by the tempered shot coming from her laid-back   
friend. "I'm sorry, but I'm having a long week and I really don't need..."  
The actress placed a hand on her friend's shoulder and smiled   
gently. "I'm sorry, Haley," she said in a tender tone. "I heard about your  
problems finding a college..."  
Haley just shook her head and rolled her teal eyes. "I suppose Mom   
told you all about it..."  
"Your one mother teaches my voice class," responded Phoebe a bit   
ambiguously. "And your other is my gym teacher." She shrugged, and her   
hand didn't move from the other teen's shoulder. "But is everything really  
alright? Besides college, I mean?" Her friend turned quickly away, and she  
found herself smirking. "Guy troubles... It's written all over your face."  
The brunette pulled away from her chipper friend and gathered the   
cones in her arms. "It's not important, Phoebe."   
"You love Eric, don't you?"   
"Phoebe, I really..."  
Grabbing her friend's chin gently, Phoebe gazed straight into the   
brunette's eyes and lowered her voice drastically. "You better figure it   
out," she told her companion, voice practically a hiss, "because our   
lives are all going to change really soon and you'll regret letting him   
go."  
She pulled away. "And what's that supposed to mean?"  
"You tell me." Phoebe winked a blue eye and strode out the door with  
a certain bounce to her step, belying the mysterious words she had just   
said.   
With a shake of her head, Haley started out the other door of the   
supply closet. "Sometimes, I wonder if I'll ever understand that girl..."   
************  
  
Dusting off the last shelf in the living room, he sighed. He really   
needed to get a job.  
And then, the phone rang.  
"Hello? Oh, hi Mrs. Mokoti." He rolled his blue eyes as he listed   
to the ranting woman rattle on and on about how direly she needed to talk   
to her daughter. "No, no, Lyra's not home. School just got out. She'll be   
home soon. Yes, Mrs. Mokoti. No, Mrs. Mokoti. Of course, ma'am. Good day   
to you, too." He hung up and let out a long breath. A breath he didn't   
know he had been holding.  
Depositing the dust rag on the coffee table, he walked slowly up   
and down the length of the room, pausing each time the hallway came into   
view. It had made sense a month ago. But maybe it had stopped making   
sense. She was hardly eighteen. She'd turned eighteen only a month ago.   
Her mother was just not taking it well, and...  
He walked down the tiny hallway and opened one of the two closed   
doors. Within was just the kind of bedroom one would expect a teenage girl  
to have--a single bed, a desk, a dresser, posters on the wall, clothes   
scattered on the floor... He paled upon glancing at some of the clothing   
on the floor. It was utterly amazing that, after they'd been a couple for   
three years, he was still shy around her. And it was equally amazing that   
she still blushed at some of her mother's innuendoes. And it was a few   
THOUSAND times more amazing that, after three years, they'd not...  
"Rich? You home?" The familiar voice brought a smile to his lips.   
Ever since Orion had moved out, the apartment had been unsettlingly   
placid. But then, she'd moved in, and...  
Thin arms encircled his waist. "Do you know what my mother would do   
if she found you snooping around MY bedroom, Mister Umino?" She let go of   
him and bounded to face him, hands on her hips. "She'd probably kill you   
and then cut out your innards..."  
Richard smiled broadly and leaned down to peck her on the cheek.   
"She called already," he told her with a slight smirk. "About three   
minutes ago. Said you were late."  
She made a face, but her chestnut eyes still glowed in amusement. "I  
had to give Tara a ride home," she informed him, running a hand through   
her blonde curls. "Ye gods! You'd think that she had this place under   
twenty-four hour surveillance."  
"Probably does," he winked, making a sweeping gesture toward the   
room. "I bet that all of your clothing have bugs planted on them and you   
don't even know it..." He picked up a discarded sweater and placed one of   
the sleeves near his mouth. "Mrs. Mokoti, I just want to let you know that  
Lyra is home and safe... Until I get my hands on her, of course."  
Lyra smiled and chuckled a little, snatching her clothing away and   
throwing it toward the laundry hamper--and missing, of course. "I better   
call her," she said, suddenly sober. She glanced up at him apologetically.  
"Will she ever get used to this all..."  
"Heavens no." He placed a hand on her shoulder and bent down to look  
her straight in the eye. "But I don't want you feeling sorry about your   
mother's opinions or actions, because..."  
Without warning, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him  
gently, her lips warm against his. After a short moment, she pulled away   
and let her hands slide to his chest. "You don't want me feeling sorry   
because 'we're destined and it's not our fault'," she whispered, eyes   
still half-closed. "We go through this every day, Richard..."   
She sighed and stepped backward, a sad smile on her face. He gulped.  
"Lyra, I..."  
"But the only reason I manage to muster up the courage to stay is   
because I love you more than life itself." Sending him a meaningful   
glance, she bustled out of the room, no doubt going to call her mother.  
Richard sat down on the edge of the bed, pushing a few shirts and   
discarded test papers away as he smoothed the yellow sheets. Orion had   
moved out about six months ago, telling him some story about necessity   
and destiny. And then, out of nowhere, she'd had four kittens. He smiled   
slightly. At least he knew what the 'necessity' had really been.  
Closing his blue eyes, he let his smile grow. After his cat had   
left, the one girl he'd ever loved moved in and made herself at home.   
She'd made his empty apartment into a home. She'd made him happy.  
In the beginning, he'd really missed the sarcastic talking Guardian   
of his destined kingdom.  
But he didn't miss Orion in the least anymore.  
************  
  
Her breath came and went in foggy pants as she bustled down the   
street, not sure of what to expect.  
Well, no. She grimaced. That wasn't true. She knew JUST what to   
expect.  
Tara had once said that anyone could have a vision. Anyone. Anyone   
with a capital 'A'. Shinto or not. Of course, she'd scoffed at the time...  
But wouldn't it figure that she'd been the first to feel it?   
Well, there was really no proof that she was the first. Tara had   
most likely felt it. At least a little. And Reeny, of course. She was the   
Princess of the Earth, after all... She had a lot of telekinetic bonds   
and stuff like that. And the cats, where ever they were...  
"Alice?"  
She whirled around, fists at chest level. Her nerves were shot, and   
she was just about ready to...  
The pink-haired teen smiled gently at her and stuck a hand between   
them, as though to signal surrender. "You okay?" inquired Reeny, cocking   
her head at the panting, edgy auburn-headed teen. "You seem really   
nervous."  
Laughing aloud, Alice wiped the beads of sweat from her brow. "Don't  
you feel it, Reeny?" she questioned, clasping her hands together. "Don't   
you feel impending doom? Don't you feel evil? Don't you--MMPH!"  
She cupped her hand over the frantic one's mouth and pulled her into  
a bunch of rather tall bushes. Crouching down and pulling her friend with   
her, Reeny lowered her red eyes. "What the Hell do you think you're   
doing?" she hissed in a low tone. "Announcing to the world that we're once  
again inching toward disaster?"  
"You mean you feel it, too?"  
"OF COURSE I FEEL IT!" yelled Reeny, immediately lowering her voice   
as she realized how loud she'd become. "Of course I feel it, Alice," she   
whispered, brushing her bangs out of her eyes. "I've felt it for nearly a   
month. And so has Diana, and so has Ambriel--whether she realizes what   
exactly 'it' is or not..." She shivered. "And I HATE to think how long   
Raye and Hannah and Tara and Susan have had this inkling, because my   
mother's had it for months and she's not nearly as good with evil forces   
as those four are..." Shaking her head, she trailed off and smoothed the   
blue skirt of her college uniform. "Which means..."  
Alice nodded solemnly, studying the mud they were in. Beyond the   
bushes, she could see the white, fluffy snow that had been dumped upon   
the city a few days before. The day she'd started to feel it... "Evil?"   
she asked softly, brown eyes wide.  
And Reeny turned away. And she knew what it meant.  
"Let's go to the Palace," suggested the auburn-haired 13th-grader,   
licking her chapped lips. "We can call the Scouts and..."  
The Princess shook her head slowly, looping a pick hair around her   
index finger absently. "We have to meet somewhere else... We can't involve  
any of the Mistresses..." She took a deep breath and gulped nervously.   
"Call Phoebe. We'll meet at her house."  
"But..."  
"But nothing!" snapped Reeny, standing quickly. "I don't think you   
realize how important it is for us to stand on our own two legs this time   
around." She sighed and glanced through a gap in the branches. From her   
vintage point, she could see the highest spire of Crystal Palace stretch   
endlessly into the Heavens; it rose straight up, it's point blocked by   
clouds. She knew that it was time--time for them to break away and live   
life on their own. To be Scouts and to fight without the Mistresses. And   
she feared it something awful. "We will do this without the aid of our   
mothers, because we must..."  
Alice stood slowly, climbing out of the bushes with a confused look   
on her face. "Whatever you say, Reeny," she responded in a soft tone.   
"Whatever you say..."  
************  
  
"Will you PLEASE go play in the snow with me?" pleaded the pathetic   
little voice.  
She opened one green-gray eye, glared at the source of the sound   
with a certain amount of annoyed disdain, and then closed it again.   
"Michi!" she called, settling back into the couch as though the effort of   
opening one eye had greatly disrupted her. "He wants to play with you!"  
The little boy with the dark brown hair made a face and pulled on   
the woman's arm, stumbling over himself as he attempted to pull her off   
the couch. "Come ON, Auntie!" he whined loudly.  
"Uncle," corrected the blonde woman in a bored tone. "We go through   
this once a week and..."  
"You're female," corrected a timid yet timeless voice from across   
the room. "Therefore, you cannot be our uncle." Aeris made a face and   
glanced up from her thick book. "Technically, you're neither because you   
are not related to us by blood."  
Shifting her weight once again, the prone woman sighed. "Michi!" she  
yelled loudly. "She's getting trivial again!"  
The green-haired girl crossed her arms and hopped off the couch,   
stomping out of the large parlor while muttering rude things about the   
cranky woman. As she began climbing the large wooden staircase toward her   
bedroom, a certain aqua-haired high school principal walked down the   
stairs, her shoes echoing loudly as she came to the end of the steps and   
started toward her wife. "Alex, you better have a very, very good reason   
for screaming at the top of your lungs." She crossed her arms across her   
chest and stood beside the couch. "I was in the bedroom, door closed,   
listening to the tail end of the 1812 Overture while engrossing myself in   
reading reports on Bach and Mozart and a twentieth-century rock group   
called 'Blink 182'..." She paused long enough to make a face. "Which   
reminds me that I need to call Phoebe Urawa's house and leave a long   
message on appropriate essay choices with either Orb or Orion..." She   
shook her head. "Anyway, I heard you over all of that." Lowering her blue   
eyes, she glared at her wife. "Do you have any reason for your actions?"  
Opening both her eyes, the blonde woman pressed her lips guiltily   
together. "He was bothering me again," she said timidly, pointing an   
accusing finger at the little boy who stood silently at the couch's side.  
Michelle glanced down at Peter, who promptly looked up at her with   
large, sweet red puppy-dog eyes. He could have made ice melt with that   
innocent gaze. Instead, he melted the Mistress of Neptune.   
"Play with him," she commanded in a stern voice, patting the boy on   
the head. "He just wants attention."  
Alex sat straight up, gaping at the little, wide-eyed child who   
stood sweetly beside her. "But... He's annoying and..."  
Peter smiled gently, his eyes tearing up. "Please, Unkie Alex?" he   
pleaded in a cooing tone. The blonde woman felt a stony glare focus itself  
on her face, and she put on a fake, annoyed smile. "Let me go get my   
boots..." she told him, grumbling and sending a VERY angry look toward her  
wife. Upstairs, she could hear the sound of running water--Aeris, most   
likely...the sound of someone giggling--no doubt Hannah, who had been on   
the phone all day with an old friend who lived New York...and the   
bloodcurdling screaming of a baby...  
And the baby was getting nearer.  
"Come on, Peter," the blonde suddenly said, gripping the boy's arm   
and practically dragging him toward the back door. "I'll play in my   
slippers."  
Rolling her eyes, Michelle glanced at the stairwell and then at her   
frantic wife. "It's just Delaney," she called after the blonde as she   
heard the heavy footfalls of a certain young man come nearer. "She's not   
a ravenous viper or anything..."  
"Close enough," grumbled the woman, slipping on a pair of navy   
slippers. "That baby is evil, whether you like to admit it or not."   
The other woman wrinkled her nose. "What a way to talk about your   
granddaughter!" she yelled as the sliding glass door flew shut and the   
strange duo--the Mistress of Uranus and a three-year-old with all the   
maturity of a child of seven or eight--tromped through the snow outside.  
"Miss Michelle?" came a hesitant, quiet voice from behind her. "She   
won't stop fussing, and I don't know what to do, and neither does   
Hannah..."  
Turning around, the woman smiled gently. Before her was a young man   
with a rather round face and a slight lack of height. He stood to about   
her eye level, which was no monumental feat. Copper eyes pleaded with her   
through a pair of black-rimmed glasses, and blonde hair topped his head.   
Cradled in his arms was a child of about six or seven months, her fuzzy   
black hair and shining purple eyes exactly like that of her mother's.   
And the baby was sucking on two of the young man's fingers.  
Michelle smiled. "Brian, I think you're doing all that can be done   
for a teething baby," she told him with a slight shrug. "Hannah fussed   
about three times as much as this little one did, and look how she turned  
out..." She reached forward and touched a cautious finger to the baby's   
cheek. "It still frightens me," she gulped, feeling a wave of sorrow wash   
over her. She looked at the man, who seemed quite confused. "I mean, it's   
scary that my daughter has a daughter, and..." she trailed off,   
impulsively licking her lips.   
He held the baby out toward her. "Why don't you take her for a few   
minutes?" he suggested with a smile. "I need to get Hannah off that phone,  
and you don't have anything better to do..."  
She accepted the child, rocking the baby back and forth as Brian   
bustled off. Her eyes welled up with tears as she let the infant take one   
of her fingers into her mouth and suck on it. "Just like Hannah, you are,"  
she breathed, walking up and down the length of the room. "I swear it,   
Delaney, if I didn't know better..."  
"Who's to say you don't?" There was a sudden flash of crimson light   
and then Susan Chiba appeared, her hands casually in the back pockets of   
her jeans as she stood in the middle of the room. "Come now, Michelle,   
you can't deny that you've had your thoughts."  
Michelle furrowed her brow and stared at the woman. "Thoughts   
about..." she prompted, confused.  
"Like mother, like daughter," supplied the Guardian of Time,   
glancing first at the child and then a hanging portrait of her own family   
of four. "You see it, though you won't admit it." Michelle continued to   
stare. "All the Mistresses' daughters end up like them in a whole lot of   
ways..."  
The musician shook her head. "Not Haley, though. She's nothing like   
me..." She froze, glancing sideways out the window as she watched   
Alexandra tear through the snow, a certain brown-haired little boy   
running after her. "She's like Alex," she breathed, as though it had hit   
her for the first time. Then, she let her blue eyes glance up at the   
taller woman with the long green hair. "But why do you bring it up now?"  
Susan sent her a glance that could have brought boiling water down   
to absolute zero in a half of a second. "It starts," she bluntly said in   
her timeless, mysterious voice. "All of it starts."  
"More evil?" Michelle didn't get a response, but that was exactly   
the same as an affirmative. She chewed on her lower lip, thinking   
silently to herself as she stared down at her tiny, half-asleep   
granddaughter. "Is that why you've been at the Gate so often lately?" she  
asked in a straggled voice.  
Wordlessly, Susan held out a hand and a tiny red, black, and gold   
transformation stick felt into its palm. Atop the stick was the symbol of  
Pluto. Then, she waved her other hand and two tiny Key Staffs appeared   
beside her--smaller, orbless versions of her own. With a slight smile, she  
waved her hand again and all three relics disappeared.  
"I started training them a few weeks ago," she confided in the   
other woman. "The fighting is going to start any day."  
Michelle pressed her lips together. "Any day?"  
The Time Guardian was about to respond when a little, snow-covered   
boy jetted into the house and up the stairs. Following him was a certain   
blonde woman with a sopping wet slipper in each hand and what appeared to   
be half a snowball atop her head. With a slight, amused smile, Susan shook  
her head. "I better go save my son," she commented, starting for the   
stairs.   
The other woman brushed an aqua hair from her eyes and glanced at   
the babe in her arms. "Remember, Delaney," she told the girl, sitting on   
the edge of the couch as she spoke. "When you live with Scouts,   
Mistresses, and eternal men, there is never a dull moment."  
And the baby smiled.  
************  
  
"Kick the ball, don't run from it!" yelled the annoyed coach,   
brushing strands of hair from her teal eyes. "You can't win at soccer   
unless you TRY!"  
Laughing, a nine-year-old blonde girl with golden pigtails glanced   
up at her soccer coach. "Don't you think you're being a little tough on   
us, Miss Haley?" she asked sweetly, green eyes large as she smiled. "I'm   
the oldest on this team, and I'm only nine..."  
The brunette glanced down at the girl. If it weren't for the fact   
that the child was more powerful than the whole of the Galactic Sailors,   
she probably would have gotten angry. But she was a precocious, adorable,   
powerful girl who would someday rule the world. Or so she had been told.   
"Nah, Celeste," smiled Haley, ruffling one of the girl's pigtails.   
"I'm just being...uhh..."  
"Just being a coach, eh Haley?" inquired an adult from behind her.   
The teen turned around to come face-to-face with a short, chipper blonde   
handmaiden who made her home at Crystal Palace. "How's your indoor soccer   
team going?"  
The young woman smiled and shrugged her shoulders, glancing at the   
team as a little girl ran, tail between her legs, from the ball. "Pee-wee   
soccer is a headache," she responded, the expression on her face priceless  
as she watched half her team get into an argument about who should go   
retrieve the ball from halfway across the gym. "They never get anything   
right."  
Lisa just smiled. "Well, how would you like a new player?" she   
asked, pulling upon the wrist of a rather sweet looking red-haired girl   
with large, slightly frightened gray eyes. Haley cocked her head, and the   
woman explained. "Helios and I got into a fight about what she should do   
in her free time, and we decided to put her on some sort of sports team...  
And Reeny agreed and even suggested yours..."  
Ambriel glanced around the gymnasium in aghast amazement. She'd   
never seen so many kids--thirteen, to be exact--all running after the same  
little black-and-white checkered ball. A slight smile pulled at her thin   
pink lips. Maybe, just maybe, it could be fun... IF she could pull her   
mind away from its obsession with destiny long enough to walk straight.  
"Hey, you're Ambriel right?" questioned the blonde girl, her green   
eyes sparkling. "I'm Celeste, and I've known you since you were very   
young."  
The smaller girl just stared, neither shying away nor daring to step  
even an inch nearer to the stranger. "I don't believe I've ever met you,"   
she responded cautiously, her hands folded tightly together at her waist   
level. "But you seem so very familiar..."  
Even with the yells of thirteen rambunctious pee-wee soccer players   
was drowned out by the strange, foreboding silence that seemed to emanate   
from the two children as they stared at one another, unmoving. Both Haley   
and Lisa glanced frantically at one another, not the least bit sure of   
what they were supposed to expect from either girl. They had been around   
long enough to know that strange--and wonderful--things sometimes happened  
when just one of the girls was nearby. And neither was completely sure if   
they wanted to see what would happen when both were together.  
A ball landed at Celeste's feet, and she drew her eyes away from the  
redhead just long enough to bend over and pick it up. She ran a finger   
over a few of the seams and then smiled suddenly at the child astride her.  
"Want to play, Ambriel?"  
Gray eyes sparkled as the girl rolled up her sweatshirt sleeves.   
"Care to teach me?" she inquired, walking out onto the portion of the gym   
that was roped off as the soccer field. "I've never played before..."  
The brunette coach furrowed her brow as the duo walked away from   
them, completely confused. Placing her hands on her hips, she sent a   
sideways glance toward the blonde handmaiden. "What was that all about?"   
she asked in a bewildered tone.  
Lisa shrugged. "I wish I knew." Smiling gently, she placed a hand   
on Haley's shoulder and leaned toward her. "Scout meeting tomorrow at   
Phoebe's house," she whispered, voice hardly audible. "All available   
Scouts must report. Three p.m."  
"But I have soccer..." Her quick protest was halted by a certain   
stern look within the other woman's usually happy blue eyes. "Why do we   
need a meeting?"  
Glancing at both Ambriel and Celeste, who were having what seemed to  
be a grand time running amongst the other children, the handmaiden smiled   
sadly. "I don't know if you've felt the impending danger, but that girl--  
or perhaps the angel within--has felt it. The knowledge of her destiny   
blooms within her breast even as we speak." Her soft smile, the alone   
sign that she was even the least bit happy, died suddenly, and she gulped,  
eyes falling to the ground. "All she can think of, talk of, is her   
destiny..." Lisa laughed aloud, but it was a choked, nervous chuckle.   
"Today, she ran outside and played in the mud, and you know what she said   
when she got inside? She said: 'Lisa, I would like to be a bird, and fly   
on silken wings, and be all that my destiny requires of me.'"  
A surprised gasp escaped the coach's lips as she swallowed the   
funny taste that had surfaced. Deep within, below her skin, she could feel  
all those funny tingles that had accompanied her times of being a Sailor   
Scout slowly bubble up to the surface. Her fingers ached to touch the   
Locket of the Comets, which was at home in its delicate wooden box--or   
coffin, as the little oak container had seemed to be when she'd last   
touched the locket. She yearned to feel the cold touch of metal upon her   
brow... To feel the soft weight of the gloves on her arms... To look down   
upon a pair of short, silver boots and to know that those boots would   
carry her over the highest mountain of dread and across the deepest river   
of evil if she only wanted them to.   
But, beyond all of that, she could feel that overwhelming feeling of  
doom, and it was very similar to the feeling she had felt when the   
motorcycle within her illusion had tumbled over and...  
She pressed her lips together. "Already?" she asked aloud, not so   
much talking to Lisa as she was talking to herself. "It all starts   
already?"   
"I'm not sure," responded the handmaiden, hands in her coat pockets.  
"But what I do know is that the world is slowly entering into another   
stage of darkness..."  
Darkness... Haley laughed silently in spite of herself. Who was to   
say what was darkness and what was light? She'd faced the greatest dangers  
of the universe, but the only thought that ever came to her was how much   
she missed that feeling of despair. When she'd fought, she'd been   
whole...wanted...NEEDED... She had been a warrior that the world could not  
do without and she had liked it more than any words could ever even   
attempt to describe.  
Her breath caught in her throat. "I think I might like the   
darkness," she breathed, hardly able to formulate a complete thought   
within her mind.   
Lisa furrowed her brow in confusion and contemplation, not wanting   
to bother the teen with her meaningless questions. "Will we see you   
tomorrow?"  
She nodded, long ponytail flopping back and forth behind her as she   
did so. "I suppose so," she whispered, staring out at the two young girls   
who, bright hair flying behind them, played soccer without a care in the   
world. A slight smile crossed her face, and she licked her lips.  
The darkness, in her opinion, was much more peaceful than the   
light...  
************  
  
Her crimson eyes scanned the starry sky as she sat on the edge of   
the small table, darting from twinkling body to twinkling body in a   
strange, almost beautiful randomness that amazed the observer. The   
silence was deafening, suffocating, and harsh in the little office as the   
Guardian and the beautiful--though mysterious--woman sat wordless,   
contemplating.  
"I can't do it without them," she stated softly. "Hell, I could   
hardly do it WITH them here, but now there's more evil and I can't...even   
bear...to...think..." Her voice gave way to sobs as tears trailed down   
her pink fur and landed on the table in little droplets.  
Two soft fingers wiped the tears away before stroking her back   
softly. "The circle has completed itself," the woman breathed, crystal   
blue eyes staring out the same window as the red eyes had previously been.  
"The third sovereign generation of Guardians has presented itself and will  
soon take its place..."  
"But they're kittens!" She glared up at the woman in shock, her   
bloodshot eyes nearly hateful with grief and anger. "They can hardly be   
appropriate guardians to replace my parents!" She threw her head to the   
side so that the woman could not see her tears. "I just don't understand,   
Serenity! I don't see why it has to be like this!"  
Sitting down in an armchair, Neo-Queen Serenity gathered the small   
pink cat into her arms and kissed the Moon symbol that was embedded within  
the soft pink fur. "Diana, I know how hard it is for you to be without   
your parents. And it must be terrifying for you; you've been thrown into   
guardianship without a teacher for the first time." She took the cat's   
chin between two of her fingers and looked the animal straight in the   
eyes. "But I never knew my real mother until after I was a fighter for   
love and justice, and look how I turned out." She smiled and patted the   
soft fur some more. "Diana, you have done a better job guarding Reeny than  
your mother could ever have done, and THAT is what is important."  
Diana looked up at the Queen, eyes teary. "But why did they have to   
go and die?" she questioned, entire body trembling. "I know what the   
prophecy said, but..."  
"'When the third generation of guardians presents itself, the first   
shall fade into the shadows, leaving a path that only the ready guardian   
can follow'," quoted the Queen, voice strong as she ran a hand through one  
of her long golden pigtails. "Prophecy is something confusing and   
dreadfully dull, which is why I avoid it." Her voice seemed to pick up the  
old, familiar ring of a girl who had been lost to maturity too long ago.   
"But, Diana, it always comes true, and that's why we try not to mess with  
it."  
The cat chuckled despite the grief that welled within her heart.   
"They knew it was going to happen and they let the kittens be born?"  
Serenity nodded. "You'll learn that, sometimes, the future means   
more than the past does," she told her friend, the mysterious tone of   
royalty replacing her happy-go-lucky commentary. "And they knew it more   
than I ever will."  
Sighing, Diana settled her head into the silken folds of the   
Queen's dress. "I miss them," she sniffled, letting her eyes slowly fall   
shut.  
The woman nodded and stroked the cat's fur. "So do I," she   
whispered. "Probably more than you know..."  
************  
  
The phone rang.  
She rolled over in bed, her eyelids too heavy to open in the least.   
Who would call so late on a school night?  
It rang again.  
Her groan was muffled as she groped for the obnoxious device that   
was somewhere on the nightstand. She heard a few assorted pens and pencils  
fall to the ground, but paid no regard. Yanking the receiver free of the   
base, she cleared her sleepy throat. "Hello?"  
"Hi honey! How's everything going?" The voice was disgustingly   
chipper for such a late time.  
Her brown eyes slowly cracked open as she glared at the bright   
orange numbers of her digital clock. One a.m. A slight smile crossed her   
lips. Not too late at...  
"It's ONE IN THE MORNING!" she roared into the phone, suddenly   
animated as she flipped on the bedside lamp and blinked at the clock, as   
though it were playing some sort of foul trick on her. "Mother, this had   
BETTER be a pretty goddamn important call, or..."  
From the other end, she could almost hear her mother twist the   
phone cord around her fingers as she spoke. "I was just worried about my   
little-whittle girl," she cooed, voice dripping with sweetness and love.   
"You were late calling me when you got home from school..."  
Lyra rolled her eyes and flipped the lamp back off. "First off, I'm   
eighteen years old," she reminded her over-protective, bossy mother.   
"Second--and we've been through this twice--I had to give Tara a ride home  
because her parents were busy..."  
"Well, I just wanted to check up on you," interrupted Mina in a   
stern voice. "It's important to me that my little snookums is safe from   
harm."  
The teen chuckled to herself. "You mean you wanted to make sure I   
was safe from harm and potentially dangerous boyfriends by the name of   
Richard Umino!" She heard her mother gasp a bit, and she could just   
imagine the exact shade of red the woman was turning. She paused just long  
enough to be dramatic--a trick she'd learned from Phoebe--and then she   
smiled slyly. "Don't worry, he's not in my room."  
Muttering something that sounded distinctly like the word 'good',   
Mina Mokoti hung up the phone in annoyance.  
Resting the receiver back in its proper place, Lyra leaned into her   
pillows and listened to the sound of the winter wind shaking the tree   
branches outside her bedroom window. Her brow furrowed. Why was her mother  
so uptight? The animosity that the Mistress held toward the young man had   
decreased sharply over the last three years, which was no surprise. Yet,   
still...  
"Who was it?" A shadowed form, muscular, tall and handsome, appeared  
in the doorway.  
She smiled slightly and pulled the comforter up to her chin. "Just   
Ma," she sighed with a yawn, staring at him with sleepy but adoring eyes.   
"It's the once-a-week midnight check."  
Richard smiled a bit and blew her a kiss. "See you in the morning,   
Star," he whispered, pacing back to his own room.  
And her smile grew as she sank into the bed and let her heavy   
eyelids fall shut.  
************  
  
Sunlight filtered slowly through her bedroom window as the chipper   
young voice chorused in her ears.  
"Gonna be late, Tara! Get up!"  
She groaned and contemplated rolling over when she felt a strange   
weight upon her legs. She attempted to stretch, but it did no good.   
Whatever it was, it was attached very well.  
And she knew exactly what it was.  
"Get off me, Josh," she snapped as she sat up, kicking her legs a   
little as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "It's way too early in   
the morning..."  
The boy on her legs grinned impishly and hopped off, batting long,   
black eyelashes as he did so. Purple eyes shone in the morning sun as he   
gazed at the sleepy teen before him. "But you've gotta go to school and   
to the meeting today, Tara," he pouted, looking hurt and happy at the same  
time. "And Mama said..."  
She rolled green eyes and stood, stretching to her full height of   
five feet, seven inches. "I'm sure that I know EXACTLY what Mother said,"   
she snapped at him, annoyance in her voice as she glanced disdainfully at   
the boy. "But you don't have to jump on me."  
"I don't HAFTA, Sissy," he agreed, nodding enthusiastically. "But I   
WANNA."  
Ruffling her brother's soft, messy brown-black hair, Tara smiled   
slightly. She could still remember when the child--now a very mature two-  
and-a-half-year-old--had been born, and, on the same token, she could   
remember the sleepless nights that she'd had due to his screaming from the  
next room. But his love for her seemed to make up for the lack of sleep   
and the occasional games of 'Hop on Sissy'.   
Well, sometimes, anyway.  
She rubbed her eyes some more, glancing out the window to view the   
placid temple grounds. The snow outside was of the purest white, a stark   
contrast to the browns and greens of the mud that was trying desperately   
to replace the slush. It was February, a nice enough month in her opinion,  
but it seemed as though the cold would just NOT go away this year. She   
shivered at seeing the snow, and she pulled her nightgown closer to her   
body as a reflex. "What time is it, anyway?" she inquired of the boy,   
watching the sun sparkle across the snow as she spoke. "It doesn't look   
like six a.m...."  
Josh glanced at the clock, furrowing his brow. "Seven...two...  
four..." he read, looking up at her with his large purple eyes. "That's   
seven twenty-four, then, right?"  
Nodding, she smiled and...  
"SEVEN TWENTY-FOUR?" she yelped, looking at the bedside clock as she  
felt her heart pick up the pace. The third number flipped to 'five', and   
she held back what was going to be a blood-curdling scream. "SCHOOL STARTS  
IN FIVE MINUTES!"  
As his older sister turned into a whirlwind, trying to get dressed   
and organized as quickly as possible, the little boy put his hands on his   
hips. "I TOLD you, Sissy," he scolded in an exasperated tone. "I TOLD you   
that you were gonna be late."  
And he dodged a shoe that went flying in his general direction.  
************  
  
"Father, what is the purpose of one attending a Sailor Scout Meeting  
when one is not a Sailor Scout?"  
He choked on his bite of banana and glanced downward. Standing next  
to the table, hands clasped together at waist height, stood a little girl.  
Her eyes, which were green, red, lavender, blue, gold, and every other   
color of the rainbow combined, stared up at him. He gulped and swallowed   
the bite of breakfast, still staring. "Excuse me?"  
Aeris sighed and pressed her lips together for a brief moment before  
clarifying. "I do not mean to sound ignorant in the least, but I do not   
understand why my presence is needed today at the Sailor Scout Meeting."   
She knitting her green eyebrows together, pondering her own words. "I am   
but three years old, yet I am older..." She glanced down at her blue skirt  
and white blouse, eyebrows still bunched together. "I am a girl trapped   
in a body and a mind far too old, and yet..."  
"Whoa, slow down," her father interrupted, laying the half-eaten   
fruit upon the seemingly endless oak table and turning to his daughter.   
"Aeris, I don't understand a word that just came out of your mouth."   
Terrence pushed his glasses up on his nose and drew the girl--the girl who  
was a three-year-old trapped in the mind and body of one who was eight--  
into his lap. "Are you asking if you're a Sailor Scout?"  
She licked hr lips and remained silent for a long moment as she   
thought of an answer. "I suppose that, indirectly, I am," she responded,   
staring into his green eyes. "I just do not understand how I could be a   
Sailor Scout when there is no danger..."  
Laughing aloud, he stroked her silken, chest-length green-black   
hair. "There's always danger," he told her in an amused voice. "No matter   
what. As long as there are people, there is danger."  
With a shake of her head, Aeris unfolded her hands. "Not that type   
of danger, Father," she corrected him, closing her eyes. "The type of   
danger that requires this."  
A small stick, red, black and gold with the symbol of Pluto atop it,  
fell into the open palm of one of her hands. He sighed upon seeing it.   
His wife had created that pen... Created it to give their daughter her   
first chance at becoming the Guardian of Time. Of taking the position of   
Sailor Pluto.  
And Terrence sighed again. Soon enough, his son would take the   
position of Master of Time, a position that had never been filled in the   
history of the universe. A position that had, in essence, never been found  
necessary.  
"Aeris, times change," he told her in a stern voice. "People change.  
And there will always be danger, sin and corruption." He took the pen in   
his hand and ran his thumb over it, surprised by the warmth of the metal   
and the beautiful, almost prismatic glow of the crimson symbol of Pluto.   
"I suppose that, yes, you are a Sailor Scout," he told her. "I suppose   
that, yes, you do belong at the meeting." Handing back the pen, he laid a   
kiss on her forehead where--sometime, someday--a bright red birthmark,   
now hidden from the world, would appear. "You are Sailor Chibi-Pluto."  
She smiled a little, her eyes slightly teary. "Small Pluto," she   
translated aloud. "The small Soldier of the Planet of Time." Hugging him   
tightly around the neck, Aeris began to cry. "I will do a commendable job,  
Father! I will make you and Mother so very, very proud!"  
Out of the corner of his eye, Terrence could see his wife watching   
from the far doorway of the obscenely large dining room, her usually stern  
face alight with a sort of majestic-yet-saddened smile. Her red eyes never  
left her daughter as she pressed her wine-colored lips together in a   
subtle, pensive gesture.  
Then, like a breath of wind, she turned quickly and disappeared down  
the hallway.   
************  
  
Gray eyes stared out the window at the birds.  
How she loved the birds. Their feathery wings... Their dreams never   
interfered with their reality. Their parents never prevented them from...  
"Stop it!" she scolded herself, clutching her hands to the sides of   
her head as she yelped. "Mama and Helios-papa don't do it on purpose! And   
I'm sure Lisa doesn't either!" Tears, tears that she didn't know she had,   
began to flow freely down her cheeks as she slammed a fist against the   
windowsill. "I don't understand it! I don't see why..."  
A warm arm wrapped around her shoulders and she leaned into the   
embrace, not caring who it was who held her. They were all the same, to   
her. It didn't matter anymore...  
A hand stroked her messy red hair. "Why do you cry?" inquired Lisa,   
blue eyes filled with concern.  
The girl weaseled out of the hug and wiped tears from her eyes with   
her shirtsleeve, embarrassed to have one of her guardians see her so   
upset. "I want to reach my destiny..." She pressed her lips together and   
looked away. The birds, outside, still chirped.  
"Then reach it." Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a tiny   
white, gold, and silver blur being held out to her. She turned her head,   
and gasped.  
Her transformation stick.  
Staring up at the handmaiden, the little girl cocked her head to one  
side. "Do you mean it?" she questioned in a shaky voice as her hand   
reached out to touch the tiny column of metal. "I can have my stick?"  
"Well, yes..." lied Lisa, trying not to think of all the awful   
things that both Helios and Reeny would do to her if they found she'd   
handed over the pen without their permissions. "A long time ago, I made a   
promise and... Well, I always keep a promise, Angel Moon."  
Ambriel took the stick, clutching it to her chest as she looked   
adoringly up at the blonde woman. "I know how much you hate to go against   
what Papa and Mama say, Lisa," she informed the woman, shifting her   
position so that she could take and hold the adult's hand. "But I am the   
most grateful girl in the world to you..."  
The handmaiden paled. "What makes you say that Helios and Reeny   
didn't give me permission?" she questioned, chewing on her lower lip.  
Chuckling, the child let go of the hand and glanced back out the   
window. "Somehow, long ago, Mama taught herself to think and not be   
emotional around me. Papa too." She glanced upward and winked. "But you   
saw me crying and gave up on thinking. As always..."  
With a sigh, Lisa ruffled the girl's hair. "I'm never going to   
understand you, Little One."  
Ambriel smiled, more to herself than to her guardian. "Perhaps it's   
best that you don't," she smiled. "Perhaps it's best that no one does."  
************  
  
"A Scout Meeting... Hard to believe, isn't it?" She kissed the   
Locket of the Earth before letting it fall back around her neck.  
"You're telling me." The Locket of the North Star received similar   
treatment.  
The last teen just nodded, her brown eyes sadder than those of the   
other two high schoolers.  
Crossroads Junior High and High School was a bustle of bodies during  
the last passing period of the week. Everyone, including teachers, was   
happy at the mere thought of getting out of school for two full days.   
Except for three girls.  
These three stood against a bank of lockers, watching the world go   
by as the familiar weight of density hung around their necks.   
Lyra sighed and placed her hands in her pockets. "This is it," she   
said in a soft voice, so that the students pressing past them in the hall   
would not hear. "Our very last day of being normal teenagers."  
The silent one smiled sadly. "It's been a long time since we've had   
a meeting, hasn't it?" she asked rhetorically, the cool metal of the   
Locket of Light nearly burning her hand. "I mean, we haven't been Scouts   
for three years..."  
"Three years..." echoed Tara, in a state of slight disbelief. "And   
three-and-a-half since we received our lockets..."  
They all sighed in unison, watching the clock as their five minutes   
of passing period became four, then three, then two, and then...  
Gulping back tears that were starting to well up in her green eyes,   
the Shinto Priestess slipped her locket beneath the shirt of her navy,   
red, and white school uniform. "Well, I've got Japanese next period," she  
choked, smiling weakly.  
"I've got Biology AP," supplied Alice quickly, running a hand   
through her shoulder-length auburn hair. "It's a graduation requirement,  
and..."  
Lyra blinked her brown eyes. "Our last class as normal   
teenagers..."  
The threesome pulled together in a tight group hug, none of them   
caring to let ago. A bell rang to signal that class would start in thirty   
seconds, and finally they tore apart from one another.   
And the blonde laughed aloud. "I think that it will be good to get   
back to Scouting," she smiled with a slight shrug. "Don't you two think   
so?"  
They, too, chuckled and agreed.   
And then they split up to go to their final class of normality...  
************  
  
"I really appreciate you doing this for me," she told him in a   
slightly timid, slightly upset voice, holding the clipboard out to him   
with a sad smile on his face. "I know that you probably didn't want to..."  
He ran a hand through his short gold-brown hair before accepting the  
object from her. "Haley, really, think nothing of it," he said in a   
reassuring tone. "I love kids, and I've seen your team practice before--  
they've got great potential."  
She pressed her lips together, twiddling her thumbs. "Yeah...   
Potential..." she echoed nervously, staring at the gym floor. She was   
silent for a long moment, a rarity, and then she gazed up at him, teal   
eyes a bit teary. "Eric, I meant that the reason you'd not want to do   
this is because of our...umm...history..."  
Eric Hartford paled. Over the past three years, he and the older   
girl had been in an on-again, off-again relationship that had, somehow,   
managed to be a dream and a nightmare at the same time. And, up until a   
short time ago, they had, for three long months, been on-again.  
And now they had, for two brief weeks, been off-again...  
With a sigh, he took one of her hands in his and squeezed it.   
"Haley, I'm only eighteen," he reminded her with a contemplative sigh.   
"I'm still in high school..."  
"I know..." Her eyes met him fathomless copper orbs. If there was a   
favorite quality of his that she loved to dote on, it would have to be his  
eyes. They were endless pits of molten bronze... Drawing her in, playing   
with her very essence...  
She didn't realize how close they were until his lips touched hers.   
All logic flew out the window as she slipped her arms around his waist and  
let him kiss her. Slowly, gently, he pulled away and stared at her.   
Butterflies took over in her stomach. Those eyes...  
And he brushed her bangs off her forehead. "I've missed you..." he   
murmured, voice low and breathless.  
"And I, you..." A smile spread across her face as she glanced at her  
watch. Two-thirty. It was only two-thirty...  
"There's half an hour until my meeting," she pointed out to him as   
his hand that did not have the clipboard somehow found its way around her   
waist and was occupying itself with tickling her side. "And I'm sure that   
I can be late..."  
He smiled scandalously and, leaving the clipboard on the gym floor,  
exited with his arm still firmly around her waist.  
************  
  
"This is amazing..." Princess Reeny, the future ruler of the entire   
Earth, let her bright red eyes wander around the room. "I never thought   
that this day would come."  
Twelve people, of all shapes, sizes, statures, and age sat in a   
circle around a folding table. It had, as almost an after thought, been   
opened up in the dance-studio basement of the Urawa household, and its   
dingy, dented metal surface was a stark contrast to the brown of the   
wooden floor or the bright silver of the wall of mirrors. Still, none of   
them seemed to notice as they were, for what was either first time in   
three years or the first time in their lives, part of a group that would   
do more good than anyone would ever know.   
The Galactic Sailors.  
Silence filled the room as everyone glanced at one another, faces   
both happy and sad at the same time, no one knowing what to say or when--  
or how--to actually say it.  
And then, a timid hand from the end of the table shot into the air.   
"I hate to be a pest," spoke up a little brown-haired boy, his red eyes   
hardly at the level of the table, "but my sister and I want to know what   
we're doing here..."  
"Peter!" hissed the green-haired girl beside him, landing an elbow   
in his side. She sat up to her full height, bright eyes sparkling as she   
glanced at the pink-haired princess at the opposite end of the table.   
"What he MEANS is that we are extremely curious to the methodology you   
employed upon deciding the necessity of our appearance here at this date."  
She cocked her head at Reeny.  
The young woman's face went extremely pale as she stared blankly at   
the girl. "Ex...excuse me?" she stammered, blinking. "What'd you just   
say?"  
Rolling red eyes, the little boy straightened up too, becoming not   
nearly as tall as his companion but still increasing his stature. "She   
just rearranged my sentence, that's all," he clarified with a sweet smile.  
"That's sort of how Aeris is..."  
"You're telling me," mumbled Haley under her breath, flipping her   
long hair behind her shoulders as she leaned back in her seat.   
The girl called Aeris looked offended at this comment but didn't   
say anything. She did, however, cross her arms indignantly across her   
chest.  
Letting out a sigh, Reeny smiled. "We called you here because danger  
is on its way." She stood, stretching, and began to walk slowly around   
the table. "That is why, actually, we called each and every one of you   
here. Those new to the game of destiny..." She sent a glance toward the   
twins and then to the little redhead who sat between Helios and Celeste.   
"And those who have been there before..." She glanced around at all of   
the Galactic Sailors, and at Lyra's Prince, and then lastly at her own   
Prince. "We all have to work together to defeat whatever this evil is.   
We've done it before--most of us, at least--and we'll be sure to do it   
again."  
"But, Mama," pressed the child with the red ponytail, "how can we be  
part of our destinies before any other evil comes to call? How can we..."  
"Hush, Ambriel," interrupted Helios sternly, running a hand through   
his shaggy silver-white hair. "Let the Princess talk."  
With a sigh, the pink-haired Princess glanced at the duo who would   
be her family. "She's got a good question, dear," she told the man with a   
hint of annoyance in her voice. "We are the Galactic Sailors and the   
Chibi-Scouts, and we can do anything."  
"A noble thought indeed." Alice stood up, glancing around the room.   
"But--and let me say this much before the guy with the freaky hair cuts   
into MY statement--this isn't the same kind of evil that I felt with the   
Raiders running around." She paused and licked her lips. "On a scale of   
one to ten, with ten being the feeling I hold in the pit of my stomach   
right this minute, the Raiders were a four."  
Quiet set in, and it was deafening. The different expressions that   
were distributed on each face--some of fear, some of hope, some of   
confusion--were stony and understandable. No one could express the   
feelings that they all had.  
And then, she stood. Golden hair flowed freely around her shoulders   
and down to her waist, unhindered by the two purple elastic hair ties that  
usually held her hair in twin pigtails. The smile on her face was   
mysterious and strange, nothing like that of the girl who she normally   
was. And it could be said that, for the briefest moment in time, she was   
no longer Celeste Ann Mokoti, a nine-year-old third-grader at Harbor   
Elementary school.  
She was the Keeper of the Nebulae.  
"I would like to remind you that we are still the same people," she   
said in an odd, low voice. "Three years may have passed, and we may have   
become changed, but the moment we raise our relics high and say the words   
that Fate has set out for us to say, we are no longer those changed   
people. We are exactly the same as we were the first day we picked up   
those relics.  
"There are more of us. We are growing more powerful with age. But,   
despite all this, we must realize the risks involved. The stakes, they   
have grown. They have changed. And the fighting starts any day. But we   
must stand tall and defend the world. We are superheroes, so to speak.   
And we have a duty to the universe."  
"She's right!" chimed in Peter from the other end of the table. "It   
doesn't matter how scary this evil is, because we've got to fight it!" He   
stood.  
The girl beside him stood up too, a bit more slowly, and smiled a   
gentle, sweet smile. "Though my brother often leans toward my unkind foe,  
immaturity, I will have to say that I agree with this girl." Aeris nodded   
in the direction of Celeste, her eyes glittering. "My father assured me   
that, as I am a Sailor Scout, I must fight. And I assured him that, as I   
am just as you say I am, I will make my mother and him proud of me."  
Watching the twins with pensive gray eyes, Ambriel grinned and   
stood quickly, ignoring Helios' attempts to subtly coax her into sitting   
back down. "My destiny calls," she told the group. "I did not know what   
it was today, but now I am sure that it is to be a warrior, just like you   
other brave fighters for love!" She glanced at the blonde girl beside her,  
whose green eyes had alit the moment that she'd first stood. "And I will   
fly, just like a wing, to where ever my destiny will lead!"  
Celeste glanced directly at Reeny. The young woman had, long ago,   
allowed her eyes to widen and her jaw to drop. And still she stared at   
the blonde girl, speechless, as the four children stood at their various   
places around the table.  
And the girl who was the Keeper of the Nebulae smiled. "As the   
leader of the Chibi-Scouts, I announce that we, from this moment on, are   
united. Two causes made one. From now until forever."  
"Chibi-Scouts?" questioned Peter, staring at the girl before him.   
"Is that what we are?"  
With a gentle, special smile, the leader of the children nodded.   
"That is what we are, young Master," she told him with a subtle wink of   
one of her green eyes. "And that is what we will forever be."   
She sat, and the other three younger members of the group followed   
suit. Silence washed over them, but it was a slightly accomplished   
silence. A slightly happy silence.  
Then, the pitter-patter of feet--eight feet, to be exact--echoed   
through the room.  
Two cats launched onto the table's surface. One was rather large   
and had orange and white fur which became tabby stripes at both his   
forehead and at the tip of his tail. The other was smaller and much   
scrappier, her calico fur matted with dust. Still, her overall presence   
was almost intimidating, what with her wild green eyes and her strange,   
mysterious half-smile.  
And, the two birthmarks--one a bright gold moon and the other a   
shining silver star--stood out against the relative darkness of the   
basement.  
"Sorry we're a bit late," apologized Orb quickly, his eyes darting   
around at the different members of the group frantically. "We had some...  
umm...'loose ends' to take care of."  
************  
  
"Ooh, when I get my paws on them..." She paced nervously back and   
forth in front of the door, every so often sticking an experimental paw   
beneath the door frame. "Who do they think they are, locking us in here   
while THEY get to go meet the Chibi-Scouts!" She turned her lavender eyes   
to glance at the other three prisoners. "The Chibi-Scouts are OUR   
responsibilities, but they don't care! OOH! I could..."  
Galileo rolled his walnut-colored eyes. "Give it UP, Ara," he told   
his sister with a shake of his head. "We're locked in the bathroom until   
the meeting's over and there is nothing that the four of us can do about   
it..." He smiled gently at her. "However, I admire your fighting spirit."  
She sat on her haunches, feeling utterly empty. It had once been   
said that Guardians had a telekinetic bond with their charges, and that   
they felt like a part of their self was missing without that charge. And   
that was how SHE felt. Empty. Alone.  
And that knowledge that her 'other half' was sitting in the   
basement, clueless to her meager existence, was not helping.  
"Besides, Ara," chimed in the little black kitten from her spot   
within the sink, "it wouldn't help. You KNOW that Papa thinks we're   
freaks."  
"Even though we're NOT," put in the silver one, her green eyes   
sparkling. "Just 'cause we don't have our markings yet..."  
The black one nodded in agreement. "And he doesn't believe that   
we'll get our symbols in due time, even though that's what you say, Ara."  
"And you read a lot, don't you Ara?" inquired the silver one,   
smiling.  
With a nod, the tall, slender kitten smiled gently at her two   
siblings. "Thank you Carina, Cassiopeia, but I think that we'll need a   
miracle to get Papa and Mama to let us out of here. After all..."  
"Are you guys in there?" came a soft, high voice from behind the   
door.  
All four kittens glanced at one another, eyes wide. Only the chubby   
tan male found his voice in time to respond. "Yes?"  
A chuckle sounded. "I swear, my brother will never learn..." There   
was the sound of a cat jumping, followed by the sound of a handle being   
pushed down, and then the door opened toward them to reveal the face of a   
smiling pink cat.  
"Thank Serenity that I found you four," it said, stepping into the   
room. "That is, of course, assuming you are the third generation of   
Guardians."  
Ara was quick to respond. "That would be us," she told the stranger,  
"though, often enough, it's a surprise that we're anything at all."  
"Our Papa's convinced that we're freaks," explained Carina, her blue  
eyes staring at the forehead of the visitor. "Saaay... Where'd you get   
that nice looking gold Moon?"  
Cassiopeia's silver fur shone as she jumped to the tile floor and   
scrutinized the symbol upon the cat's head. "Can I have one? Or two?"  
Pushing the two smaller kittens out of the way, the tall cat let her  
lavender eyes meet the gaze of strange cat. "Who are you, anyway?" she   
asked cautiously, voice hardly above a whisper. "I've only seen one gold   
moon birthmark in my entire life..."  
"And she reads A LOT," put in the silver kitten.  
The cat laughed. "I'm Diana, the royal Guardian of Princess Serena   
and, more so, your father's older sister." She raised an eyebrow and   
glanced at each of the four kittens separately, a surprised expression   
slowly crossing her face. "Do you mean to say that you've not met the   
Chibi-Scouts yet?"  
They all shook their heads.  
"And you haven't been assigned to a Chibi-Scout each, yet?"  
She received a similar response.   
"Oy vey," she groaned aloud, shaking her head slowly. "Then of   
course you don't have your marks yet!" She rolled her crimson eyes. "I   
swear, I'm going to kill that cat one of these days..."  
Clearing his throat, Galileo spoke up. "I hate to interrupt your   
anger with our father, but are the Chibi-Scouts here like he says they   
are?"  
Diana smiled. "You're Galileo, right?" He nodded, a confused   
expression on his face. She glanced at the tall, thin, green-black kitten.  
"And that would make you Ara. Your mother talks about you two CONSTANTLY,  
you know that? All she can ever talk about is how well-read you are, Ara.   
And how completely ingenious you are, Galileo. That's all I ever hear..."  
"Auntie Di!" whined Carina suddenly, high voice cutting into the   
cat's monologue. "Can we meet the Chibi-Scouts or NOT?"  
Blushing a little, the older cat glanced at the black fur ball of a   
kitten. "You want to meet them, I take it?"  
"We WANT to be Guardians," clarified Ara stubbornly. "It's been a   
really big deal from us ever since we were kittens."  
"We still ARE kittens," pointed out Cassiopeia helpfully. "So we   
couldn't have been waiting all that long..."  
Ara just rolled her eyes and followed her strange, pink aunt out of   
the bathroom.  
************  
  
"Training will take place here twice a week until evil appears," Orb  
explained to the group as he paced up and down the table's length. "It   
will be rigorous, so bring lots of..." He turned to the end of the table   
where, in all her timid timelessness, Aeris had a hand high in the air.   
"Yes, Chibi-Pluto?"  
She froze at the mention of her Scout name, as though someone had   
just told her something she didn't fully understand. Gulping, she folded   
her hands in her lap and turned her attention back to her question. "Peter  
and I receive full training each day from our mother and father," she told  
the cat. "What situation for training will we..."  
He put up a white paw. "Celeste, as the leader of the Chibi-Scouts,   
will deal with you on an individual basis, but I would think..."  
"Well," spoke up a clear, low voice from the end of the table which   
he was not facing, "if Celeste is the leader of the Chibi-Scouts, then who  
leads their Guardians?"  
Twelve pairs of human eyes and two pairs of feline eyes all focused   
on a line of four variously colored kitten who sat in front of Reeny. A   
bit behind them stood a rather proud, smug-looking Diana, her smile not   
at all sweet as much as it haughty. "Look what I found," she winked at the  
two Guardians who were already present. "Chibi-cats."  
"Diana..." growled Orion, resisting the urge to go dig her claws   
into the pink cat's face. "What the HELL do you think you're doing?"  
"Who the Hell are they?" inquired Haley, eyes wide as she stared at   
the kittens.  
Phoebe made a face. "Heck," she corrected. "It's rude to swear."  
The auburn-haired girl across the table made a face. "Hell shit hell  
damn damn f..."  
"Don't you say it in front of these children!" shot Helios and Reeny  
in unison, both attempting to cover Ambriel's ears at the same time.  
The redhead rolled her gray eyes.  
Leaning back in her chair, Lyra yawned and glanced at her watch. It   
was already six p.m. Had they really been in the Scout meeting for three   
hours? Oh, well. She turned to the cats and smiled. "Well, whatever   
wording you choose to use, we're still curious to who you are."  
"VERY curious," specified Richard, pushing his glasses up on his   
nose.  
Bowing, the tallest kitten stepped forward. "I am Ara, the oldest   
cat of the third generation of Guardian cats. I have been brought down on   
this Earth to help train the Chibi-Scouts."  
"As have I, Galileo." A chubby, pleasant-looking tan kitten stepped   
forward and smiled at the group. Everyone was staring at him, and his   
smile quickly faded. "Jeez, you make this seem like it's a funeral."  
A tiny silver kitten leapt forward, prancing up and down the table   
merrily. "I'm Cassiopeia, and I'm their sister!" she announced gleefully.  
"And I'm Carina," introduced the last kitten, whose fur was the   
color of night.  
Orb paled noticeably. "Does this mean I have to explain?" he asked,   
a bit nervous as he glanced around the group.  
Nodding slowly, the Princess of the Earth smoothed the blue skirt   
of her college uniform. "That would be a very nice idea, Orb," she smiled.  
"Shit," muttered Orion.  
"Shoot," corrected the blue-haired teen, flashing a charming smile.   
The calico turned on her, green eyes alight in fiery anger. "Phoebe,  
go f..."  
"NOT IN FRONT OF THE KIDS!" yelped Helios and Reeny, once again   
diving for Ambriel's ears.  
Ambriel rolled her eyes. "Come on, you guys," she sighed with a   
shake of her head. "You KNOW that Lisa can swear like a drunken sailor   
when she has the inclination..."  
Everyone looked at the little girl, surprised. She shrugged her   
shoulders and leaned back in her chair.  
"Look, I'm all for finding out ALL about the Chibi-cats," put in   
Tara, standing slowly. "In fact, I would really like to hear about it. But  
how about we do it over a pizza?"  
For the first time that afternoon, a comment really made a whole lot  
of sense.  
************  
  
The Galactic Sailors Say!  
  
(All six original Galactic Sailor Scouts (Moon, Earth, Polaris, Phoenix,   
Aurora Borealis, and Comet) file in, wearing their fukus)  
  
Moon: (pensively) Did you all notice that this episode ended in a sort of   
weird spot?  
  
Phoenix: (shrugs) That's what you get when Kate stays home from school!  
  
Moon: No, I mean it! WHY'D she do that?  
  
Polaris: (rolls eyes) Reeny...  
  
Moon: (angrily) And what was all that about me with a strange lack of   
screen time? And what about the fact that Ambriel has this stupid 'bird'   
analogy hanging over her head? And what about...  
  
Comet: Comet Duct Tape SURROUND!  
  
(A roll of duct tape appears and promptly covers Sailor Moon's mouth.)  
  
Aurora Borealis: Well, I hope that you enjoyed story 15 of the Galactic   
Sailors. I hope you like the new characters--  
  
Earth: (interrupting) --none of which are all that 'new'--  
  
Aurora Borealis: --and I hope you liked the plot.  
  
Polaris: And the lesson of the day is...  
  
(Pause)  
  
All sans Moon: Duct tape is good!  
  
Moon: Mmmm hmmmmm hmmm...  
  
ALL: See ya!  
  
-I Know-  
Look around...  
(Ambriel stares down at Tokyo from the top tower of Crystal Palace)  
So many things aren't clear...  
(Aeris and Peter stand before the Gate of Time with terrified expressions)  
Don't worry, though...  
(Haley smiles and turns a page in her book)  
You know that I'll be there...  
(Orion and Orb chase after the kittens)  
A lot of things are so uncertain...  
(Tara, near tears, bites her lip)  
The future's on its way...  
(Michelle holds Delaney, an amazed smile on her face)  
Look into my crying eyes...  
(Reeny wipes tears off her cheeks while Serenity watches nervously)  
Don't take your love away!  
(Alice slams the door in her father's face)  
  
Sometimes, the road looks long...  
(Lyra looks up at the North Star)  
And sometimes, the world seems wrong...  
(Phoebe hugs her mother around the waist)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(The six Galactic Sailors hold up their lockets)  
  
Sometimes, you feel weak...  
(Richard grabs onto the wrist of a falling Celeste)  
And sometimes, the future looks bleak...  
(Terrence shakes his head as Sailor Pluto walks through the Gate of Time)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(Ambriel, Celeste, and Aeris all hold up their transformation pens)  
  
Times will change...  
(Tara, robes flying, chases Joshua around the courtyard)  
People will change, too...  
(Haley plays with her now-long hair)  
But deep inside...  
(Helios takes Reeny's hands in his)  
I always will love you...  
(Richard bends down to kiss Lyra)  
I suppose there are questions now...  
(Peter tugs on Terrence's pant leg)  
The answers are so far...  
(Alice and Phoebe dive for a floating sphere and miss)  
But look at me and smile now...  
(Hannah and Brian both smile as Alex takes Delaney into her arms)  
I am your guiding star!  
(Lyra and Richard stare at Celeste and Peter, who are watching the sunset)  
  
Sometimes, the road looks long...  
(Lyra looks up at the North Star)  
And sometimes, the world seems wrong...  
(Phoebe hugs her mother around the waist)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(The six Galactic Sailors hold up their lockets)  
  
Sometimes, you feel weak...  
(Richard grabs onto the wrist of a falling Celeste)  
And sometimes, the future looks bleak...  
(Terrence shakes his head as Sailor Pluto walks through the Gate of Time)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(Ambriel, Celeste, and Aeris all hold up their transformation pens)  
  
I know...  
(Chibi-Pluto, the Angel Moon, and Chibi-Star stand together)  
I know...  
(The Galactic Sailors stand together)  
All you need is love...  
(All nine girls stand together)  
All you need...is...love...  
(The Prince and Princess of the Stars kiss)  
************  
  
Did you all notice the new "I Know"? Well, probably not. I hope you liked   
this episode! See you next time! (I hope...)  
  
--KB--  



	2. Resurfacing

Resurfacing  
  
Author's Ramblings: How was it? Story 15, we mean. Did it actually work   
out in the way that it was supposed to? Was it good enough to appease the   
fans that we've managed to accumulate over the last few months? Were the   
plot holes big enough to drive semis through, or were they only big enough  
for an average adult to walk through? Are you sick of our questions yet?  
This story will feature some characters from first season who have not yet  
been re-introduced. If that's a problem, too bad. It's part of second   
season and that's not our fault(s). And, while you're at it...  
Enjoy!  
--Kate and Christina--  
************  
Last time, on Galactic Gals...  
  
The Scouts sensed evil and had their first Scout Meeting in three   
years. Much has changed. The twins, Aeris and Peter, are now training to   
be Warriors. Lyra and Richard are both living in his apartment--both with   
separate rooms. Hannah and Brian have an infant daughter. Ambriel has some  
sort of sick fascination with birds. Reeny is in college. Tara has a   
little brother. And Haley (though I'll bet money that NO ONE caught this)   
now has long hair.  
  
And that, my friends, is where the story begins...  
************  
  
She twirled in a slow circle in front of the mirror, admiring   
herself as the soft velvet of her gown flowed freely about her legs. She   
was gorgeous. She knew it. And she was about to take over the world.  
Reaching over to the small marble table that was to her direct left,  
she raised a large crown above her head and smiled as the cool touch of   
blackened gold sent shivers down her spine. Soon... Soon... Soon the Earth  
would be hers...  
Brown eyes closed as the secret words of an incantation virtually   
known came to her lips...  
"Light of tomorrow and dusk of today,  
"Envision my dream in the following way.  
"Bring darkness to reality, the least pure wish come true...  
"Reinvent the Earth for my vision, bring life anew!"  
Nothing happened.  
She opened one eye, then the other. It was true--well, almost true,   
anyway--that she didn't know what exactly would happen when she uttered   
the incantation. She knew that something WOULD happen, and she knew that   
it would be as she'd wanted it to be, but she didn't know what exactly   
would go on up there, above the surface. She was sort of expecting an   
explosion. Or at least a popping sound. She knew that dead silence just   
wasn't the reaction she was supposed to get.  
"What went wrong?" she wondered aloud, bringing the crown down to   
her eye level and studying the variously colored gems, their bright   
luminescence almost painful. "I could have sworn..."  
And then she froze in mid-sentence, brown eyes growing wide.   
Right in the center of the crown, surrounded by diamonds, was a   
large, gaping black indention.  
Where another gem should have been.  
Stomping one of her leather boots on the floor, she placed the crown  
back upon her head and clenched her fists together. If it was gone, that   
could only mean one thing...  
"KEVIN!"  
************  
  
All four of them sat in a row on the couch, watching as the three   
royal Guardians of the Sailor Scouts stood on the floor and discussed   
something--though they weren't sure WHAT--in hushed tones. Their hearts   
were all pounding and their breaths both coming and going nervously as   
they stared at the two Moon cats and the Star cat.  
"Hey, Ara," whispered Carina softly, leaning over to her taller   
sister, "what's a Star cat?"  
"And how's a Star cat different from a Moon cat?" inquired the   
silver-furred Cassiopeia.  
The black kitten nodded in agreement and started again. "And..."  
Her lavender eyes lowered into a glare and she sent them both a look  
that could have intimidated even their grandmother, Luna. "Look," she   
hissed back in anger. "I don't want to explain it right now. I don't want   
to DEAL with you two right now. If you have a question, the answer is   
either 'I don't know' or 'I don't care'."  
Both of her sisters gaped at her, shocked beyond words. Carina   
almost opened her mouth, but the hateful spark in the older cat's eyes was  
too much to bear, and she decided, instead, to focus on her paws.  
"Don't you think that was a bit harsh?" asked Galileo once Ara had   
taken her lavender gaze off the hyperactive twosome. "They're only   
kids..."  
She glanced at them and sighed. If only she hadn't been given the   
curse of being so mature. It seemed that she was light-years ahead of her   
siblings--even her brother, sometimes. Gazing at the chubby tan cat, she   
sighed and shook her head. "Curiosity killed the cat," she quoted with a   
slight smile that could best be called grim. "They'll have to learn that   
every not every answer can be answered for them and that I'll not always   
be there..."  
He looked away from her intense eyes and looked down at the other   
cats. His father and aunt had the exact same expression on their faces--  
stern, adult, timeless. It was a side that he didn't think the orange and   
white cat had. And then, a bit away from the two siblings, stood his   
beautiful mother, her green eyes filled with unshed tears. A lump rose in   
Galileo's throat. "Today's the day?" he asked softly of her, gazing out   
the window at the large white moon and the glistening silver stars. "The   
day we become Guardians?"  
"We were always meant to be Guardians," she answered ambiguously.   
"I've read prophecy, and we're in it. In dozens of places, we're   
mentioned." She gulped and licked her chops. "And I believe that this will  
be goodbye for some of us." She glanced at him, and he looked away,   
refusing to meet her eyes. She shrugged. It was how it had to be.  
The room was silent for a long moment as the adult cats on the floor  
all pulled away from their conference and looked up at the four kittens.   
Outside, the moon and the stars smiled down on them, the view through the   
picture window creating a beautiful backdrop for what could, perhaps, be   
the kittens' last day together.  
And then, Diana cleared her throat. "Prophecy talks about the 'ready  
Guardians'," she told the kittens, her red eyes staring up at them as she   
spoke. "And you four are surely it." She smiled slightly, but it was a   
mournful smile. "You were born to train the Chibi-Scouts, just as your   
mother was to guide the Princess of the Stars, just as I was to teach   
Princess Reeny, and just..." Tears welled in her eyes. "And just as my   
parents were born to guard Queen Serenity and her court, the Planet   
Mistresses."   
"But," put in their father, stepping forward as he spoke, "with this  
power comes grave responsibility. You must vow to protect and teach your   
Scout to the best of your ability. You must use what you have learned from  
us to pass it on to the Chibi-Scouts. You must be brave, strong, and you   
must know when to put on a happy face for the good of the Scouts." He   
sighed. "You are my children, and I love you, but the time has come..."  
Everyone looked to Orion, who stood behind her mate, weeping   
silently. The star on her forehead was beginning to glow as she clenched   
her eyes shut and tossed her head, crystal tears shining in the moonlight.  
She took a shuddering breath and raised her head, green eyes pulling back   
open, as though on their own accord. And the star kept glowing, the   
intensity of the silver growing brighter, and brighter...  
"Ara." The green-black kitten sat up a bit, her lavender eyes   
sparkling as she gazed down at her crying mother. "The Guardian of Sailor   
Chibi-Pluto."  
There was a flash of silver light originating from Orion's star,   
followed by a long stream of what looked to be molten silver. The silver   
landed on the kitten's forehead, formless.  
"Galileo." The Star cat's voice was strong. "The Guardian of the   
Master of Time."  
Another stream of silver flowed to the tan cat's forehead.  
"Carina, Guardian of Angel Moon." There was more silver.  
Orion paused at the last kitten, her green eyes once again turning   
teary. How could this be happening? How could she be losing her children?  
She shook the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach away. She   
could cry later.   
"And Cassiopeia," she managed without choking on her tears. "The   
Guardian of the Keeper of the Nebulae." Silver found itself onto the   
silver kitten's forehead, as well.  
Diana stepped forth. "Do you kittens accept the grave responsibility  
that comes with being a Guardian?"  
They all nodded.   
"Do you accept the power?" asked Orb.  
They all nodded once again.  
Orion let the glow of her star begin to fade as she smiled sadly at   
the four kittens. She felt tears once again rush into her eyes, but she   
blinked them away. She could cry later.  
Right now, she had to be supportive.  
And she cleared her throat. "Do you accept the gratification of   
becoming Guardians?"  
They nodded one last time, and then, there was an explosion of   
light.  
Crimson, silver, and gold streams of light mingled in the air above   
the four kittens, as though a box of glowing, liquid snakes had been   
released to fly through the room. The colors illuminated the faces of   
three adult Guardians at that very minutes, their faces proud but unduly   
sad. Innocence and childhood was fading. Fading away into nothingness.   
Leaving...  
And the lights disappeared, leaving but memories of what could have   
very well been an illusion.  
"That was SO cool!" exclaimed Cassiopeia, trying earnestly to see   
the golden star that had appeared in the midst of silver fur. "Can we do   
it again?"  
Carina just giggled, her blue eyes crossing as she tumbled over,   
yearning to see the silver moon on her head.  
Ara and Galileo just stared at one another's red Pluto symbols,   
afraid to move. The other two kittens might have taken the gift received   
lightly, counting themselves as freaks no longer, but those two--they   
understood its true power.  
She drew in a sharp breath. "It's beautiful," she breathed to her   
brother. "I never thought that this day would come..."  
He nodded, smiling proudly as he stared at his sister's mark.   
"But..." The kitten furrowed his brow. "What do we do now?"  
The answer came not from Ara but from a strong female voice on the   
floor. "You get a good night's rest," retorted Diana, her voice slightly   
bossy but yet filled with adoration for the young Guardians at the very   
same time. "In the morning, you'll no longer be taking up residence   
here..."  
"But..." interrupted Orion quickly, her voice shaky. The pink cat   
glanced sympathetically at the calico, and she nodded solemnly. "But...  
you'll...all have to get a drink of water before you sleep," she   
stammered. "I don't know how dehydrating receiving your marks is."  
The kittens all laughed a bit at their mother and pranced out of the  
room gleefully, glad to finally be Guardians, just as they were originally  
destined to be.  
As his children left, Orb glanced to the scrappy calico. "You okay?"  
he questioned her, cocking his head to the side. His gold eyes were filled  
with concern, and Orion felt her stomach lurch as he stared at her.   
Before her awakening by Artemis, she'd been an empty shell of a   
Guardian. On the Silver Star, she'd felt nothing but loneliness and   
remorse--she'd had no friends or family, and it seemed to her that the   
entirety of the kingdom had been against her. Of course, once she'd found   
the truth, it was far too late in the Silver Millennium to stop feeling   
sorry for herself. And she'd hated her life, really...  
And then Artemis woke her from her literal field of dreams. And life  
had started to make sense. Sure, it was hard going, but she had united the  
Prince and Princess...she had met someone she could love, annoying as he   
could be and often was...and she'd delivered and raised four kittens from   
infancy until they were nearly four months old. Any normal cat would have   
buckled down and given into regularity eons upon eons ago. But what was   
she doing?  
She was going to start training Sailor Scouts in a few days.  
"You know what?" she inquired of Orb as they walked out of the   
living room, Diana following close behind. "I think that I've been   
looking at this all from the wrong angle." The confusion in his eyes was   
almost appealing as she continued. "I've been so overly concerned about   
losing the kittens that I've been ignoring all of the good things that I   
didn't have before I came to Crystal Tokyo."  
Orb raised an orange eyebrow. "So?"  
She smiled. "So, in response to your question..." Orion's smile   
grew bigger as she let her green eyes look out through the kitchen's glass  
door. From where she stood, she could see the stars. She could see the   
galaxy unfold before her.  
"I've never felt better."  
************  
  
To the average eye, they seemed to be an adorable young couple,   
enjoying a long walk through a romantic park, smiling and stopping   
occasionally to kiss as they strode, hand-in-hand, under the smiling moon.  
But the romantic park was Crystal Gardens, the private area of the   
great Palace that only the Princess of the Earth had access to. The   
couple, then, was none other then Princess Serena, called Reeny, and her   
Prince Helios. Yet they were walking, hand-in-hand under the smiling moon,  
and they were enjoying themselves.  
As they came to a wrought-iron bench that had been set up under a   
great weeping willow tree, Reeny let out a sigh and plopped down. "Don't   
you just wish that you could freeze a single moment in time and chose to   
view it whenever you're lonely?"  
He furrowed his brow and sat down beside her, taking one hand in   
his and kissing it lightly. "Whatever do you mean, Maiden?" he questioned,  
confused.  
She sighed and shrugged, laying her head upon his shoulder as she   
let her tired red eyes fall closed. "I'm just starting to wonder how long   
this will be able to go on," she stated, licking her lips. "We're going to  
be fighting again, soon, and I worry..."  
Leaning over her, Helios gently kissed her lips, cutting off the end  
of her sentence. He didn't want to think of it. He didn't want her to say   
it. The Galactic Sailors WOULD win and he WOULD be able to forever live   
with his one true love. He pulled away, stroking her long hair and smiling  
slightly. "I am your prince," he reminded her in a stern voice. "I will   
protect you from everything."  
She shook her head and opened her eyes, finding herself in the   
intense blue gaze that had so often both frightened and amazed her when   
she was a child. His nose nearly touched hers, and it took all her   
strength to NOT throw her arms around his neck and to NOT kiss the living   
breath out of him. Instead, she touched his cheek gently. "It's not me   
that I'm worried about," she told him softly. "It's Ambriel."  
He froze at the mention of the little redhead. The child had such a   
harrowing effect on both their lives--she was Reeny's little savior and   
his sweet headache. It was true enough that he loved the child, and it was  
true enough that she had both the Princess and Lisa wrapped around her   
little finger, but still... He didn't see what there was to worry about.   
An angel couldn't die...   
"Don't worry for her," he whispered, eyes half-closed as he took her  
hand away from his cheek and held it in his. How warm she was. He smiled   
slightly. She was his sunshine.  
Reeny pressed her lips together. "Her transformation stick is   
missing," she told him rather blandly. "I mean, it's the funniest thing,   
too, because I know you didn't take it and I know that I didn't take it   
but we're the only two who know about it and..."  
Blinking, Helios drew away from her and paused, unsure what to say.   
He hadn't taken it... He glanced at Reeny, who was staring at the full   
moon. No, it couldn't have been her, either. But that would leave...  
He raised an eyebrow. "Could that little nymph have taken it   
herself?" he inquired. "It wouldn't surprise me in the least if..."  
"But I doubt she remembers," she quickly returned, tearing her gaze   
from the moon and looking instead up at a high balcony. Upon the balcony   
stood a small figure and--though it wasn't possible to tell all the   
features of the person from the far-off vintage point--her eyes could see   
red hair and white skirts blowing lightly in the winter breeze. She smiled  
at that. "And," she continued, trying to recall what her thoughts were   
before she became distracted. "And, if she did remember giving up the pen,  
she wouldn't know about the safe, or the lock box..." She shrugged. "It   
just bothers me, Helios..."  
He shivered. It was a pleasant night for February, really, but it   
was still slightly cold out. He wrapped an arm around the sleepy Princess   
beside him and leaned back on the bench, staring up at the moon and the   
blanket of stars that it laid on. "Shall we go in?" he asked softly,   
laying his head atop hers as he spoke.  
"Let's stay here," she suggested with a slight smile. "Just for a   
little while..."  
He couldn't say that he honestly minded.  
************  
  
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'IT FELL OFF'!" Bolts of crackling yellow energy   
flew from her fingers and picked the man up by the collar of his black   
uniform, drawing his face near hers. "This had BETTER be good!"  
The large hall echoed with the man's whimpers as he clenched his   
eyes shut and grimaced. The woman, dark eyes sparkling, stared at him   
from her seat upon the large throne, watching him wiggle and kick with a   
bemused smile upon her features. She waved one of her fingers back and   
forth across a span of a few feet, and the energy followed suit, pulling   
his body with it. "Now," she smiled, her anger seemingly dissolving, "why   
don't you explain what happened to my crystal before I have to get mad?"  
His blue eyes, which had been clenched shut in fear, cracked open as  
he looked at the large crown that the woman wore. Pressing his lips   
timidly together as he saw the gaping black hole where the orange gem   
should have been, he took a deep breath in threw his nostrils. "Well,   
m'Queen," he began in a soft, apologetic tone, "I didn't lose it on   
purpose."  
She smiled sweetly. "I'm sure you didn't," she cooed. "Continue."  
"Well... It all started when Seth and Rob were bickering about who   
was better," he explained, folding his hands together as though it would   
help his case. "I was polishing the crown, 'cause that's my duty to you,   
m'Queen and..."  
"Cut to the chase," she interrupted, rolling her brown eyes. "I   
don't have all day, and I'd frankly like to take over the world BEFORE the  
Sailor Scouts figure out what's going on."  
He nodded quickly, licked his lips, and continued. "Well, m'Queen,   
they were getting awful loud. And it bothers me when Seth and Rob get   
loud, and..." He grimaced and scrunched his face up. "And I dropped the   
crown."  
Her facial features froze as he said this, and she felt her grip on   
the beam of yellow energy loosen considerably. The young man dipped five   
of the ten feet to the ground before her beam tightened back up. He   
whimpered a bit as he felt his body rise in the air, and he whimpered   
even louder when his blue eyes met her brown ones. "WHAT did you just   
say?" she hissed, eyebrows arching. "You dropped the crown?"  
"It was an accident!" he cried, looking away from her and focusing   
on the black ceiling above his head. "They were throwing balls of energy,   
and it was scary, and I was really scared and..."  
She snapped and the beam of energy burst into dust, sending him   
plunging to the floor. He yelped out in pain as his posterior made contact  
with the black marble, but he dared not protest her judgement of putting   
him there. She looked mad.  
"You're very lucky, Kevin," she addressed him in a dry, calm voice,   
her tone belying the glare in her eyes and the scowl upon her dark lips.   
"You're lucky that I am so lax. You're lucky that the Sailor Scouts don't   
know we have arrived." She leaned back in the throne. "And you are lucky   
that you have this chance to redeem yourself."  
Kevin scrambled to his feet and ran a hand through his short, blonde  
hair. "Thank you, m'Queen," he quickly expressed, bowing as deeply as he   
could. "Both me and Bob will make you proud!" A small gray rock appeared   
in his left hand, and he clutched it to his chest as he spoke. "Thank you.  
You are truly benevolent."  
And he disappeared in a small puff of smoke.  
Once he was gone, the woman slowly let a sigh escape her lips.   
Taking off the crown, she let her brown hair fall to rim her face and set   
the headgear upon a small table. "Tina!" she called out. "Come forth!"  
A Oriental teenage girl, no older than Kevin, appeared out of   
nowhere. Shoulder-length black hair cascaded about her face as she smiled   
politely and bowed a bit. "You called, Ginnie?" she asked sweetly.  
Ginnie made a face. "Tina..." she warned, gesturing to the crown   
beside her.  
"Oh, yes..." The girl smiled. "You called, QUEEN Ginnie?"  
The queen beamed at the name. "I have a slight mission for you, if   
you're ready to take it."  
Tina bit her lower lip. "You actually sent Kevin out WITH the   
rock?" she questioned nervously, cracking the knuckles on her left hand.   
"I thought for sure you would just kill him off..."  
Shrugging her shoulders, the dark haired woman picked some   
imaginary lint from her velvet gown and looked at the teen. "I suppose   
that would have been easier, but still..." She smiled. "There's an off   
chance that our dear friend Kevin may find the Crystal."  
"And there's a good chance that our dear friends the Sailor Scouts   
may find him whilst he's the midst of the pursuit." Tina paused and buffed  
her nails on her black slacks. "What's the point?"  
Ginnie grinned, showing a row of white teeth. The grin would have   
sent even the bravest of warriors cowering in fear, but her companion   
didn't seem to notice it at all. "That's where YOU come in," she   
responded coyly. "I want you to send out a monster." She paused. "A large   
monster. With fangs."  
The younger girl furrowed her brow. "But why?" she asked, confused.  
"I think it's time that the Sailor Scouts all got a taste of our   
medicine..."   
************  
  
Lila Mokoti stared out the bedroom window, blue eyes wide as she did  
so. "Hey, 'Leste?"  
Looking up from her book, the nine-year-old glanced at her sister.   
The younger girl and her really shared a lot of qualities, like the sunny   
blonde hair and the cherry outlook on life, but something was missing...  
And Celeste knew that it was Lyra that was missing.  
"What, Lila?" inquired the older girl, placing the bookmark in its   
proper place and laying the book upon the nearest shelf.   
The little girl wrinkled her nose and drew the purple curtains   
shut. "Well, it's gone NOW," she told her sister in a disappointed voice,   
"but there was a floating orange orb in front of the window."  
Resisting the urge to laugh, the pigtailed blonde pulled her sheets   
up to her chin and yawned. "Lila, it's nearly ten at night," she told her   
sister, "and you're hardly five. Why don't you go to bed?"  
"But I'm not..." She cut off her thought with a loud yawn. Smiling,   
she climbed up the ladder and into her bunk on the bunk beds, flipping off  
the wall switch as she did so.  
Silence overcame the room for a brief moment, and then a young voice  
echoed through the dark. "Hey, 'Leste?"  
"What?"  
"Do you miss Lyra?" inquired the voice from the top bunk.  
Licking her lips, Celeste fought back tears. She had an overwhelming  
urge to burst out in tears and to call her sister and beg her to return.   
She wanted to hear Lyra's sweet voice whisper 'good night'... She wanted   
to hug her sister and get hugged back... She wanted to...  
"Not at all," she lied, wiping the silent tears off her cheeks. "I   
think that it's good that she's with the one she loves..."  
"But..."  
"Good night, Lila."  
"BUT..."  
"I hope you sleep well..."  
"'Leste!"  
And she closed her eyes, praying that, when she woke up, the pain of  
missing her sister would fade away into happiness for the first time since  
her sister left.  
But she knew it wouldn't.  
************  
  
She stretched her tired legs and glanced out at the brightly shining  
sun. Had she really been up all night? Phoebe sighed and took a long,   
contemplative swig of her coffee. It was rich and black, just like she   
liked it. She smiled to herself and turned off the stereo, deserting the   
pile of notes from her choreography class and crossing through the living   
room to the hallway. "I guess it's time to sleep," she smiled, pulling   
the ponytail holders from her hair one at a time, shaking all six braids   
free. "I could really use some of that stuff..."  
Phoebe was cut off by the doorbell ringing. She furrowed her brow.   
Who would come to call so early? She glanced at the nearest wall clock,   
which read nine a.m. The teen chuckled to herself. Maybe it wasn't THAT   
early...  
"Coming!" she called, stepping over a large pile of dirty laundry   
that sat in the middle of the hall. As she neared the door, she paused.   
What if it was some mass murderer or something? The name on the mailbox   
was 'P. Urawa.' The name in the phonebook was 'Urawa, Phoebe S.' There was  
a good chance that someone knew that she was a single seventeen-year-old   
girl and...  
Then, her blue eyes trailed down to the red and dark orange locket   
that hung around her neck. She had put in on the previous afternoon before  
she'd gone to the Scout Meeting. A smile crossed her lips.   
Who cared if it was a mass murderer?  
Still, she glanced through the peephole, just to be sure that she   
was safe. After all, even if she WAS the Sailor Scout of the Sun and even   
if she COULD kick the butt of any given murderer any day of the week,   
she'd much rather have her locket in hand. So that defending herself   
wouldn't come as a surprise.  
And, when she saw her visitor, she couldn't have been any more   
surprised, even if it had been a wanted criminal.  
Silver hair, a bit wavy, flowed past the woman's shoulders and down   
to her chest. Amazingly deep brown eyes seemed to glow in the smiling sun.  
Her skin was light and clear, but that came as no shock--the complexion   
ran in the family. She looked to be about thirty, really, even though the   
teen knew from logic that the woman had seen a few centuries come and go.  
And Phoebe unlocked the door and threw it open, hardly feeling the   
cool air as it hit her body. Her ice-colored eyes were focused on the   
woman before her, and they were almost teary in joy.  
"Aunt Marie?" Her voice was slightly choked.  
Grinning, the silver-haired beauty nodded slightly and stepped   
forward, holding her arms open for a hug. "I hope you don't mind me   
dropping in on you like this," she apologized quickly, embracing her tall   
niece. "I tried to call last night around nine, but I kept getting a busy   
signal..."  
The teen shrugged slightly and pulled out of her aunt's arms,   
thinking of the phone calls some of the other Scouts had had to make the   
night before. "I had some friends over," she responded, gesturing to a   
large stack of greasy pizza boxes that sat in an odd corner of the foyer.   
"We ordered some pizzas and they didn't go home until ten or so, but some   
of them needed to check in with their parents..."  
"Say no more," Marie smiled, placing a hand on one of her niece's.   
"I understand completely..." She pressed her lips together and her brown   
eyes turned sad. "I was wondering if I could...perhaps...come in. I need   
to talk to you." She smiled sheepishly, glancing nervously at the messy   
front hall of the Urawa house. "If that's not too much to ask."  
Phoebe shook her head and held the great oak door open.   
"Of course," she insisted, letting the older woman walk into the foyer.   
"But do I sense that there's something wrong?"  
Folding her hands as she walked in, the woman nodded solemnly,   
staring at the slightly grungy tan tile. "That's probably because   
something is..."  
And the great oak door swung shut behind them.  
************  
  
"Anti-climatic ending," muttered Aeris, rising from the deep green   
armchair and crossing her bedroom, gingerly placing the battered paperback  
into a single empty slot on the large bookshelf. "I could have ended it   
better..."  
"How?" asked a voice from behind her, and she smiled slightly.   
"Aeris, you should know that 'To Kill a Mockingbird' is a classic,"   
scolded Hannah, walking up behind the girl, hands in the back pockets of   
her khakis as she glanced down at her cousin. "What's so anti-climatic   
about Scout realizing the truth in the world?"  
The little girl's smiled brightened and her eyes--which were of a   
deep purple tone to match her sweater of the same color--glittered as she   
stared up at her adult companion. "I think," she speculated, "that I   
would have ended with Jem getting injured." Nodding, as though to further  
emphasize her decision, she folded her hands behind her back and shrugged.  
"It leaves the end looking bleak and allows the reader use his or her   
imagination."  
Hannah smiled and plopped down on the edge of the bed. "Ah, the   
imagination," she nodded with a slight shrug. "A wonderful place..." She   
stared at the young girl, purple eyes thoughtful as the child pulled a   
think tome from the shelf and studied its battered brown cover. "But it   
can be frightening sometimes, Aeris. The most horrible things in the world  
can, for the first time, surface..."  
"Or they can resurface," whispered the child, not noticing as she   
dropped the book to the floor. The thump resounded through the room as   
she stared off into space. "I have a feeling of danger..."  
"What?" The adult jumped to her feet.  
With a brief shake of her head, the girl blinked her deep eyes a   
few times as though to clear away cobwebs and stared up at her cousin.   
"My apologies, Hannah," she quickly mumbled, scooping the book up off the   
carpet and into her arms. "It seems as though I have allowed my   
imagination run away with me."  
The woman ran a hand through her straight, shoulder-length ebony   
hair. "Or you were right about the danger," she countered, crouching down   
so that she could look straight at the girl's face. "Aeris, what did you   
feel?"  
The child looked quickly away from her aunt and faced the nearest   
window. The sun had hidden his smiling face behind a group of gray clouds,  
and the sky looked ready to burst and to shed another fine layer of snow   
upon the city. And she gulped. "I do not know," she responded, her voice   
hardly audible as she set the book atop her desk and licked her dry wine-  
colored lips. "A sudden urge to hold my transformation wand high and to   
scream the words of destiny... I had a certain need, suddenly, to find   
Peter and to seek out my Key Time in rapid succession..." She trailed off   
and stared out across the house's enormous backyard, where her brother was  
running haphazardly through the snow, tossing snowballs a laughing blonde   
woman. She sighed and shook her head.  
"Well, I don't understand it," commented Hannah, crossing her arms   
across her chest as she stood to her full height of five feet, five   
inches. She looked at the silent child and raised a single black eyebrow.   
"I can feel something, but it's just a single nagging feeling..." She   
shrugged and started out the door, shaking her head. "I must be losing my   
touch..."  
Aeris' eyes continued to stare out the window as she felt her knees   
tremble and her heart leap into the pit of her stomach. She could feel it.  
The danger.   
"Something is about to occur," she whispered, a single hand diving   
into her pocket and pulling out her transformation stick. "And I believe   
that it will occur soon."  
************  
  
She sat on the kitchen counter of the large apartment, eating   
chocolate-chip cookie dough out of the package and swinging her legs as   
she allowed all of her attention to be focused on the tail end of the   
movie 'Casablanca'.   
"'Play it again, Sam,'" she recited along with the television, a   
smile crossing her lips. Groping for the remote control, she flipped off   
the TV and glanced down at the log of cookie dough, thinking of what her   
mother would say. Grinning, she took one last bite out of the sweet treat   
and slipped it back into the refrigerator before she started toward her   
cello and the stack of recital music that awaited her.  
Three years of relaxation had treated both the Kino women very well.  
Her mother's restaurant had finally gotten off the ground and--with a bit   
of good publicity in the way of ingenious ads written by bookworms Lyra   
and Richard--became a whirlwind success story, basking them in the glow   
of actually having money. Money had always been a bit tight, no matter how  
often Lita would deny it, and every once and a while they'd gone without   
new clothes for a little while, or had passed up on buying a new pair of   
shoes, just to make sure that there would be money in case of an   
emergency. And, even then, it was sometimes a tight stretch.  
But, with 'Jupiter's Delight' sitting high on the list of top fifty   
restaurants in Tokyo, life was pretty easy going. They'd moved from their   
rather small two-bedroom apartment on the poorer side of the city to a   
more upscale area, only a few blocks from the building which housed Lyra   
and Richard. They had more room, now, and they no longer had to worry   
about money. They'd actually been able to insure the cello for the first   
time.  
And Alice was just about to pick up the said cello and practice   
when there was a knock at the door. She furrowed her brow and twirled a   
long strand of auburn hair around a finger. It couldn't be her mother,   
because she was at the restaurant. And it couldn't be any of her friends,   
because they would need a key--or a very creative usage of bobby pins and   
paper clips--in order to get through the front door of the building. Maybe  
the lock wasn't key-card controlled, but the locks were good quality and,   
according to the landlord...  
She paled. They were pickproof locks.   
The knock sounded again, and there was the unmistakable sound of   
shuffling. "Damn," muttered a voice from beyond the door. "She gives me a   
key-card and I go lose it..."  
The voice was deep and masculine, and she immediately recognized it.  
Her heart skipped a beat and her brown eyes grew wide. Why... How... She   
shook her head and paced slowly toward the door. Why would HE come back?   
Didn't he know any better?  
'I cannot stay here, Lita. I cannot become a part of Alice's life   
so suddenly...so surprisingly. How can I expect her to love me? I am her   
father, but you...you are her mother, savior, and guiding star. I am an   
old friend, Lita... And she is our new beginning.'  
She gulped back tears as she thought upon the letter that she'd   
found on the kitchen table three years ago...  
And she clenched her free fist, throwing open the door with her   
other hand.  
Her father glanced up from his wallet, where he was flipping   
through credit cards in search of the ever-elusive key, and smiled. His   
chestnut eyes shined like she knew hers sometimes did. Auburn hair feel   
into his eyes, like hers sometimes did. And he smiled at her, placing his   
wallet back into his pocket.  
"Alice..." drawled Ken, extending a hand nervously as he pressed his  
lips together. "It's...so very nice...to see you again, daughter..." He   
smiled sheepishly.  
Eyes filling with unshed tears, she took a deep breath and gulped.   
Hard. The lump in her throat was painful. "Those aren't the words I would   
use," she responded dryly...  
And she slammed the door in his face.  
************  
  
Haley glanced at the paper in front of her, heart pounding and head   
swimming. She could hardly believe what it said, and she resisted the urge  
to pinch herself.  
'Miss Haley Jordan Ten'ou,' read the letter, 'you are eligible for   
a full scholarship to the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana.  
You will be one of approximately four hundred Japanese transfer students   
studying at our esteemed University. But, in order for you to do so, you   
must fill out this final form, which will count as your interview...'  
The letter ran on, but she didn't bother to continue reading it. Her  
teal eyes just stared at the same passage--that very first, endless   
paragraph--in shock. She was so surprised, in fact, that she could hardly   
breathe.   
"You alright, Haley?" asked a soft voice from across the office.   
The teen jumped a mile into the air, her fists crinkling the edges of the   
letter as she glanced across the posh room at the aqua-haired newcomer.   
"Oh, I'm sorry," Michelle quickly apologized, smoothing her hips where her  
blue blazer met her favorite shin-length brown skirt. "I didn't mean to   
frighten you..."  
Discreetly folding the cover letter into fourths and sliding it into  
her the back pocket of her jeans, Haley sent her mother a toothy grin and   
stood quickly. "Actually," she responded, glancing at her watch, "it's a   
good thing you did startle me. I'm going to be late."  
"Late?" echoed the woman, raising an eyebrow.  
The teen, who was really a young woman at the age of nineteen, let   
her smile fade as she rolled her eyes. "Eric's picking me up," she   
supplied before her mother could pry further into her life. "We're going   
to the big piano concert at the Symphonic Orchestra Hall."  
Her mother smiled slightly and sat down at one of the two desks,   
rifling through a few manila folders as her computer booted up. "Really?"   
she inquired, sounding extremely surprised. "You two are actually going to  
a concert?"  
Haley put her hands upon her hips and rolled her eyes. "Come ON,   
Mother," she protested, staring. "What do you have against him?" Michelle   
just glanced at her younger daughter, completely confused. The younger   
woman pulled her hair, which she'd grown out over the three years, into a   
tight bun as she pressed on. "You've always liked Brian, and the two are   
related, which means..."  
"I like Eric just fine," interrupted the musician, amused. "I was   
just going to say that you don't look as though you're dressed to go to a   
piano recital." She glanced at her daughter, grinning. After all, the   
younger woman was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a ratty old gray   
sweater.  
"Uhh..." She flushed noticeably.  
Michelle continued. "And, besides, I have a guaranteed seat at the   
Orchestra Hall, and they always call the day before a performance."  
The teen's face turned bright red as she scuffed her slippers   
together and stared at the floor. "Well..." She gulped. "MAYBE we're not   
going to see a piano recital..."  
"And?"  
She made a face. "And...MAYBE...we're just going over to the   
Hartford household..."  
Nodding, the musician folded her hands on the desktop. "Now," she   
prompted, "was telling the truth all that hard?"  
With an indignant grunt, Haley tossed her head. "Yes!" she shot and  
stomped out of the room annoyed.  
She had made it about halfway up the stairs to the third floor--the   
floor which her bedroom was on--when she froze and reached for her back   
pocket. She pulled out the letter and let her teal eyes fall upon the last  
sentence.   
'Please return by April 4th.'  
Sighing, she slipped the sheet of paper back in her pocket and   
started back up the stairs.  
************  
  
The young woman kicked at a stone as she walked down the concrete   
path that ran the length of the park. "I don't get it," commented Tina as   
she glanced at the foggy trails of steam her breath left in the air.   
"Kevin fouls something up, like he has for EONS, and I have to clean up   
after him!" She scowled as snowflakes fell onto her raven-colored uniform   
(which was extremely reminiscent of those the Negaverse generals wore) and  
resisted the urge to uproot the nearest cherry tree. "'Tina, send out a   
monster. A big monster. With FANGS.'" Her tone was bitter as she stepped   
onto a small dock that overlooked the frozen lake. If the day had been any  
colder, there would be at least a dozen young people out on the ice, no   
doubt playing that dreadful human game they called 'hockey' or learning   
how to balance on it's smooth surface.  
But, as the day stood, it was too warm for the ice. A thin layer of   
water coated the top, a sure sign that it had melted a bit in the sun that  
had shone down earlier. The lake was large, and rarely froze completely   
over, even in February.  
And Tina was glad.  
She closed her eyes and drew a small bluish gem from her pocket.   
Launching it into the air, she drew in a deep breath.  
"Powers of dark, create a monster!"  
The crystal shattered and then, about twenty feet out on the ice's   
surface, the fragments began to reform. The creature grew slowly, taking   
the shape of a large, odd-looking bird. In fact, it looked like a fifteen-  
foot-tall emu...  
An emu with razor-sharp fangs, gleaming metal claws, and a strange,  
vile spark in its blue eyes.  
She smiled and opened her eyes, looking over the monster with a   
pleased nod. "Go," she commanded it, pointing toward a large office   
building nearby. "Go wreak some havoc. And make sure the Sailor Scouts see  
you."  
"Yessss..." it hissed, bowing its head. Then, the emu-monster   
flapped its large brown wings and took to the air.  
Tina let out a relieved sigh and brushed some of the fresh-fallen   
snow from her bangs. "It's really coming down," she commented, her   
eyebrows knotting together. "I'd hate to be those Sailor Scouts, dressed   
in their skimpy little fukus..."  
Grinning evilly, she placed her hands in her pockets and started   
back the way she came, humming a merry little tune to herself.  
************  
  
"Josh!" Tara looked up from her large stack of math papers, having   
leafed through them for the eighth time in half an hour. "Have you seen   
the fourth page of my math project?"  
The little boy, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor eating a   
rather large peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich, glanced at his sister   
through his thick bangs. "What math project?" he asked, then grimaced when  
she pointed to the stack before her. "Uh-oh..."  
Her green eyes grew wide. "Uh-oh?" she questioned, almost afraid to   
swallow. "Please don't say that you did something to that paper that   
deserves an 'uh-oh', Joshua Yuuichirou, or I will most certainly..."  
"Check with my painting stuff," he cut in softly, focusing upon   
picking the sandwich apart. "I think I might have used it for   
watercolors..."  
"YOU WHAT?" She stood quickly, hovering over him as she clenched her  
fists at the sides of her priestess robes. "You didn't... You...   
COULDN'T... JOSHUA!"   
He whimpered and poked at the sandwich.   
Stomping away, she thought of all of the awful things she could do   
to her little brother. She thought of the nightmare he was. Throwing open   
the door to the temple and slipping on a pair of wooden sandals, she paced  
out into the courtyard, vowing to hurt the child as soon as she could get   
a hand on him...  
And then, there was a familiar sinking feeling in her stomach that   
could best be described as a premonition of doom.  
Her back straightened up like a rod as she glanced around, opening   
her mind to whatever thoughts or feelings wanted to enter. And the only   
feelings that came in were ones of danger. She shivered, and knew that it   
wasn't because of the cold.  
There was danger nearby.  
"Josh!" she called, pulling off the sandals as she scrambled through  
the snow and toward the open door. "Josh! Come here!"  
"Sissy?" he questioned, coming to the door as he wiped jelly from   
his mouth with his temple robes. She sat on the wooden deck outside the   
door, exchanging her sandals for a pair of tough hiking boots. "What's   
wrong?" he asked, purple eyes gaping at her choice of attire--boots and   
temple robes.  
She caught him by his sticky chin, grimacing as she stuck her   
fingers in a glob of jelly. "Stay here," she commanded sternly. "Father is  
in the den, dealing with yearly expenses. Go to him, tell him that I left,  
and stay right there."  
The child stared at her, trying to pull away. "But..." he protested.  
Her grip tightened. "Josh, this is important," she pressed, tone   
grim. "You have no choice in the matter." He stared. "I know, I know--you  
don't like listening to me. But PLEASE listen! This is a matter of life   
and death!"  
Josh sniffled, his expression one of fright as he looked into the   
two bright green eyes. "If you say so, Sissy..."  
Tara planted a kiss on his cheek. "That's a good boy." She let him   
go and watched as he closed the door behind him.  
And, standing up, she started down the stairs to find out what   
exactly the danger was.  
************  
  
"Holy moly!"  
"What's that feeling, Ara?"  
"Do you know what it is, Ara?"  
The green cat was, as her siblings were, frozen at the top of the   
stairwell. The training session that their parents had held in the   
basement had gone well, if not very smoothly, and the four kittens would   
soon split up and meet their appropriate destinies.  
In theory...  
The calico, their mother, leapt in front of them, her green eyes   
closed as she took a few deep breaths. "I've never felt anything like   
this," she commented softly, her voice nearly a whisper as her eyes   
popped open.  
"Well, I have," put in Orb as he elbowed past his children and up   
the stairs. "There's a locket alert."  
Orion raised an eyebrow toward him. "And how on Earth could you   
know that?" she asked. "You're not a Scout..."  
The kittens just stared, amazed.  
He shrugged. "We feel the power without the obvious delays that the   
girls have," he continued matter-of-factly. "In fact, they'll know in   
five...four...three...two...one..."  
"EEK! LOCKET ALERT!" screeched a voice from the kitchen. There were   
some odd thumping sounds and then Phoebe, in her under-slept and over-  
caffeinated form, bolted out the front door, her aunt standing in the   
kitchen with a confused look on her face.  
The female cat just sighed and shook her head, mumbling something   
about the teen's Scouting abilities.  
And then, with a resolved expression on her face, Ara stepped   
forward. "Well then, it's settled," she spoke up. "We're going with."  
Her father's jaw dropped. "Excuse me?"   
"To battle," she supplied, voice stubborn and strong. "The Chibi-  
Scouts must be there. And, thusly, we must."  
Orion sent the kitten a stern glare, but she didn't back down at   
all. And then...  
"Yeah, Ara's right!"  
"And Ara reads a lot!"  
Cassiopeia and Carina stepped forward, standing beside their sister.  
Orb made a face at them.  
Lastly, Galileo shrugged and joined them. "What the heck," he   
shrugged with a slight smile. "I'll join the party, too."  
Both adult Guardians' faces fell as they looked at the four kittens.  
"You sure you want to go?" asked their mother.  
"Yep!" spoke up Carina, nodding furiously. "I want to meet Angel   
Moon!"  
Sighing, Orb led the way to the front door, which had conveniently   
been left open by Phoebe.  
************  
  
"Small Star... Shatter!"  
The giant bird avoided the rain of stardust and roared, prompting   
Sailor Chibi-Star to mutter something profane under her breath.  
All seven Galactic Sailors stood on a deserted street corner,   
fighting what Phoenix had called 'a rabid ostrich on steroids.' Sailor   
Aurora Borealis had been kind enough to point out that it was an emu, not   
an ostrich, and that no emu could be fifteen feet tall or have the   
ability to fly.  
"That's some monster..." muttered Sailor Moon as the animal   
breathed fire and scorched a few dozen parked cars. "It's like a bad   
dream..."  
Rolling her teal eyes, Sailor Comet let fly one of her attacks   
before elbowing their leader in the ribs. "Then dust it."  
Moon shrugged. "Can't." The emu dodged the crater, flying out of it   
as it smashed closed. "If you guys can't weaken it, then I..."  
"Don't say it," groaned Earth, hanging her head as the monster   
pulled a street lamp from the ground and deposited it atop an empty school  
bus.  
"Can't dust it," finished the pink-haired Scout, sighing. She   
looked down at the Galactic Rod. "Besides, in case you haven't noticed..."  
Sailor Polaris was up to try. "Starry Sky SMASH!"  
The emu vaporized the ball of stardust with its fire breath.  
Moon sighed and continued. "We can't seem to hit it." She watched as  
the monster threw a fireball from its mouth and charred a large section of  
the nearby Tokyo Park. Hanging her head, she let a muffled sob escape her   
lips and began to walk away.  
"Sailor Moon!" screamed Phoenix, scrambling after the leader with   
wide blue eyes. "You can't give up!" She stopped in her tracks and gaped   
at her leader, clutching her fists to her thighs in disbelief. "Where are   
you going?"  
The older Scout straightened up and turned, walking slowly back   
toward the girl with the dark blue hair. Her expression remained grim and   
listless as she stood right in front of the teen. Behind the Sailor of the  
Sun, the other five Galactic Sailors were throwing attacks, watching in   
horror as each and every attempt failed miserably. "I'm going home,   
Phoebe," she addressed her friend in a low tone. "I'm going to give   
Ambriel a hug and kiss Helios full on the lips and then, I'm going to   
pray." She took the Galactic Rod and gestured toward the monster. "We've   
been fighting the thing for a good hour, Phoebe! And look how the Hell far  
we are from beating it!" The emu roared, and Sailor Moon tossed the Rod   
over her shoulder, not caring as she heard the white marble crack on the   
pavement behind her. "It's bitterly obvious that we're not strong enough,   
and..."  
She was interrupted by the sting of a hand drawing across her cheek.  
The red eyes sparkled with painful tears and with anger as she glowered   
at Phoenix. Her mouth moved, but no words came out.  
"Dammit, Reeny!" screamed the taller of the two Scouts, swearing for  
the first noted time. "You can't give up, you coward!" Her icy eyes   
lowered farther, and a tear escaped them. "Goddammit, Reeny..." The tears   
began to fall more freely. "Who the Hell is going to save us if you can't?  
Who the Hell will save the world if WE can't?"  
Sailor Moon pressed her lips together and glanced up at the cloudy   
sky, watching as the pure white snowflakes fell onto her face. A   
crystalline tear rolled down her cheek. "All we can do is pray..."  
"ANGELIC GLOW!" A stream of silver light erupted from atop a   
building and shot straight toward the monster. Upon impact, it exploded   
and shot beams of white and silver light all over. The emu writhed and   
screamed in agony, twitching as it collapsed to the ground, still alive   
but exceedingly immobile.   
All the Scouts glanced skyward. "What the Hell?" gasped Comet,   
flipping her long, messy hair behind her shoulders. "I could have sworn it  
came from..." Her teal eyes widened as they stared at a shadowed figure   
who stood atop the building, amongst the dancing white flakes.   
The person, whoever it was, wore all white; it was a long, flowing   
white dress of sorts, running from a high collar in the front and down   
around the figure's ankles. Long red hair blew freely in the cold breeze,   
and the golden metal of a tiara shone in the light, and--in place of a   
colored gem--a silver moon glittered at the exact center of the person's   
forehead.   
And, on the back of the figure, there were a pair of white,   
feathered wings.  
"Angel Moon!" hollered a tiny voice from the ground. The Scouts   
pulled their eyes from the silhouette and focused on a small black kitten   
that was running toward the building. "My Angel Moon!" Behind the black   
kitten trailed five other cats, all staring aghast at the giant, wriggling  
bird and the amazed Scouts.   
Two more shadowed figures appeared behind the angel, and the   
threesome jumped gracefully from atop the building, landing without effort  
upon the ground. The angel's gray eyes smiled toward the Sailor Scouts,   
and her two companions bowed slightly toward the group of young women.   
Sailor Moon stepped forward, the shattered Rod but a memory as she   
stared at the young, white-garbed angel. "Ambriel?"  
She smiled, shook her head, and raised a hand high into the air. A   
tiny glimmer of white light, almost like a gem, appeared in her fist. She   
held it out to the Scouts' leader, nodding wordlessly as the young woman   
took the white into her hands.   
"Feel the power, Sailor Moon," she whispered, the duo behind her--  
one male, and one female, and both of about age eight--silent and reverent  
as they watched the awe-struck Galactic Sailors. "And understand it. The   
power of the Galaxy..."  
There was a flash of white, basking all seven of the Sailors in the   
glow, and every observer stared as the Scouts began to sparkle,   
multicolored dust surrounding their prone forms.  
The silver kitten, who was gawking, slack-jawed, elbowed the taller   
green kitten in the ribs. "What's going on?" she hissed, confused.  
Ara just glared at her.   
Suddenly, the glowing colors died down into the normal dullness of   
the overcast winter day, and the Sailor Scouts all glanced at each other,   
checking over their persons for changes. Everything was intact, and not a   
hair on their heads was misplaced.  
The redheaded Angel Moon smiled gently and folded her hands at her   
waist. "Now, in response to your question, Sailor Moon," she said, high   
voice sweet and smooth, "I am that child you call Ambriel. And may I   
introduce..."  
"Sailor Chibi-Pluto," spoke up one of the two others, the female.   
She stepped forward, and her multi-colored eyes looked over the group   
sternly. Her fuku was black and dark red, much like the Guardian of Time's  
fuku was, and her green hair was pulled back into a tight, high bun. "The   
Guardian of Time in Training."  
"And the Master of Time," introduced the young boy, smoothing his   
black tuxedo and bowing a bit. His dark brown hair was disheveled as he   
grinned at them. Chibi-Pluto elbowed him after he spoke, and he rolled red  
eyes. "In Training," he added, a bit reluctantly. "It's a start,   
though..."  
Green eyes watched the emu as it stopped shuddering and began   
attempts to stand up. "Hey, Scouts," Orion urged, eyeing the monster   
cautiously. "I hate to break this up, but it looks like that thing's going  
to be making a mess again if you don't do something..."  
The Sailor Scouts all looked at one another, and then to Angel   
Moon. The girl smiled slightly and nodded at them, her gray eyes gentle.   
"Tsunami!" screamed Sailor Earth, throwing out a hand as a large   
wave of water fell from the sky and rolled over the creature.  
"Starlight Streak!" From Sailor Polaris' fist erupted beams of   
silver light, pummeling the monster's body.  
"Shining Dawn!" A giant orb of orange flew from Phoenix's   
outstretched palm and rose high in the sky, landing upon the emu.  
"Rainbow Wave!" A rainbow of light appeared out of nowhere,   
prompting Sailor Aurora Borealis to smile. The multicolored beams slammed   
into the bird.   
"Fiery Crater!" Comet grinned as meteor of sorts flew down from the   
heavens and crashed down atop the brutish thing, creating a vast pit   
below, which it crashed into.   
"Starburst Shimmer!" A golden star appeared above the monster, and   
suddenly exploding and showering razor sharp daggers of stardust down on   
the now motionless emu, followed by a bright beam of gold light. Sailor   
Chibi-Star let an uncharacteristic smile tug at her battle-hardened face.  
All eyes stared at the creature that lay before them. It was nearly   
motionless, but even the naked eye could see that it was breathing still.   
Angel Moon wrinkled her nose. "Master? Chibi-Pluto?" They both turned to   
her, confusion in their eyes. The Master of Time even whimpered something   
about the attacks not working. She just shook her head, eyes uncertain,   
and nodded toward Chibi-Star. "The Galactic Rod has broken," she said, and  
the regret in Moon's red eyes was rather harrowing as she looked over her   
shoulder at the Rod. She sighed and hung her head. "But, from all bad   
comes good. Chibi-Scouts, join hands."  
They did as she said, and immediately there was a flash of pink   
light. It glowed brightly, changing to yellow light, and then turning a   
painful tone of white. It stung the eyes of the Galactic Sailors.  
And then, a sword appeared within the light. The hilt was of the   
deepest black, and the blade was a sparkling silver. Embossed on the blade  
and on the hilt's end was the sparkling gold symbol of the Sailor Scout of  
the Moon, and Sailor Moon's breath caught in her throat. If anything in   
the world was truly beautiful, this weapon was surely it.  
The sword flew, upon its own will, into the Scout's open right hand.  
She stared at it, amazed, for a long moment.  
And she then raised it above her head. "Moon... Saber..." She drew   
the sword across her body once, then twice, and raised it above her head.   
Red eyes snapped closed as she took a deep breath.  
"ILLUMINATION!" White light flowed from the tip of the weapon and   
into the emu. There was a flash, and high-pitched whistling sound, and the  
creature disappeared to dust...  
Except for a tiny blue gem, no bigger than a marble.  
Orion and Orb rushed forward to the mound of dust, staring at the  
gem. "What the..." The calico furrowed her brow and poked her paw at the   
little blue ball. "I don't understand..."  
Sailor Moon arched her back and stretched, scabbarding the sword in   
a red-brown leather sheath that had appeared around her waist. "I'm   
getting too old for this..." she muttered. Then, she glanced warily at   
Ambriel, and then at the Pluto twins, and lastly at the kittens. The   
latter group was chattering nervously about the proceedings, while the   
rest of her companions just watched her silently.   
She sighed. "Anyone up for a Scout Meeting?"  
************  
  
"Well, they've put their feet in it," groaned Sailor Pluto, leaning   
against the closed (and locked) Gate of Time. She studied her Key Staff,   
which was standing, hands-free, about three feet beyond her reach. Her   
eyes then flew to the two Chibi-Keys, and she sighed wistfully, a slightly  
bemused smile crossing her lips. "They go off, fighting, without being   
properly trained..."  
Her knight shrugged his shoulders and brushed off his pants, which   
were covered with lint. "Next time, I don't do my own laundry," Terrence   
muttered, pushing his glasses up on his nose. Aware of her glowering   
crimson eyes upon him, the young man straightened up and raised a brown   
eyebrow. "What?"  
She growled in annoyance, a habit that she'd picked up from far too   
many years of repressing her anger. "The twins decided that today was the   
first day of the rest of their lives," she informed him dryly. "They ran   
off into Scoutdom without..."  
"Peter's a Scout? I thought he was the Master."  
Rolling her eyes, Pluto continued. "What am I to do? Give them their  
Time Keys, say 'the magic words are Dead and Scream; don't say them   
together too often because it'll blow people away,' and let them skip off   
toward destiny like silly babies?" She shook her head. "What should I do,   
Terrence? Tell me that."  
He walked slowly toward her, and touched one hand to one of hers.   
They stood for a moment, staring at one another, eyes intense. Then he   
leaned forward and kissed her gently, then more passionately.   
Nothing moved. Nothing wavered. His fingers sought her hair, and he   
combed his hands through the silken tresses as he pulled slowly away from   
his wife. "What's the doubt?" he whispered, touching his lips softly to   
her cheek. "Ask the Key."  
She glanced at him and then nudged him away gently, staring at the   
garnet orb atop her staff. The orb had been with her since day one. It was  
her Guardian. It would know.   
Wouldn't it?  
"Guardian, what am I to do?" she whispered, stepping toward it and   
resting a gloved hand upon the gem. "How can I prepare the twins?"  
There was a flash of red light and the ball of garnet shuddered   
violently twice in rapt succession. Then, there were two flashes of red   
light to each side of her staff and, magically, two tiny, glowing garnet   
orbs appeared.  
She gasped involuntarily as the two smaller orbs attached themselves  
to the little keys and stopped glowing. She glanced at her Time Key, which  
was the same as before. And she looked again to the tiny keys, which   
seemed to be unaffected by their new additions. The Guardian of Time   
gulped back the lump that had risen in her throat and glanced at the young  
man.   
Terrence was now leaning against a white marble pillar, the military  
garb looking extremely out of place when compared to the laid-back man.   
He smirked knowingly, the gold highlights in his hair bringing out the   
touches of copper in his bright green eyes. "Told you so."  
With a wave of her hand, Pluto drew the Key into her hand and   
pointed the Garnet Orb directly at his face. "I don't want to hear it,"   
she retorted, the gentle smile on her face merely hinting at the more   
playful side of her which lied within. "I just gave two children the power  
to kill." Her face fell as she realized the truth of her statement. "I   
just gave our children..."  
The key drooped, and he avoided it carefully before standing at her   
side and wrapping an arm around her waist. "Sets..." he soothed.  
She laid her head on his chest, dropping the Time Key and falling   
into his embrace. "They're warriors, Terry... They're Senshi..."  
Nodding, he laid a kiss on the top of her head. "Shhhh..." he   
whispered, smoothing her soft hair as he hugged her. "It'll be alright.   
It'll all be alright..."  
************  
  
Reeny plopped down on the tan couch and leaned back, folding her   
hands as she smiled slightly. "I now call this second meeting of the   
Galactic Sailor Scouts to order. All present and accounted for?"  
"Nope!" announced Phoebe rather merrily. She furrowed her brow upon   
receiving both wary and dirty looks from the other members of the group.   
"What?" she asked, making a face. "We're short a Prince, a Moon cat,   
and...and... And whatever Helios is..." She ignored the glare from the   
pink-haired leader and crossed her arms over her chest indignantly. "Well,  
we ARE missing them..."  
Rolling her brown eyes, Alice wrinkled her nose. "It's a wonder I   
stay in this country," she mumbled, adjusting her seat in the large   
armchair.   
The battle-worn group sat in the living room of Cherry Hill Temple.   
They filled both every available seat and a few folding chairs that the   
priestess had brought in from the garage, and even then, the Chibi-Scouts   
were seated on the floor. Still, they had but one thing in mind...  
"What the Hell attacked us today?" Haley sighed. "It wasn't much   
fun, let me tell you THAT."  
"And our old powers didn't even work against it..." Looking to the   
twins and the redheaded five-year-old, the Princess of Stars pressed her   
pale lips together in thought. "It's as though they KNEW that we were out  
of practice," she commented pensively.  
Tara shrugged her shoulders. "But how would they know that?"   
Everyone glanced at her in confusion. "I mean, how many people--other than  
those of us in this room--know that we're Galactic Sailors?" She paused.   
"Our mothers, some of our fathers, our siblings..."  
Celeste shook her head. "Not even," she retorted quickly, stroking   
Cassiopeia's silver fur. "My siblings don't know..."  
The Priestess bit her lower lip. "Well, not many people would even   
GUESS we were destined warriors," she continued with a soft sigh. "They   
wouldn't even guess that we all had GPAs over three-point-eight..."  
"Hey, I brought it up!" shot Reeny, offended by the glances toward  
her. "I have a four-point-one now!"  
"Whatever..." The little blonde girl rolled her green eyes. "The   
point here is that they couldn't know we're weak..."  
Aeris straightened up. "Perhaps the adversary has no prior knowledge  
of our mere existence upon this Earth," she suggested softly. "It could   
stand to reason that their strength and our lack thereof remains to be a   
rather unfortunate coincidence."   
Everyone glanced at her in doubt and bewilderment, and she sank   
down, resting her elbows on her knees.  
"She said that, maybe, the bad guys don't know that we're even   
alive," translated her brother quickly. "And she thinks that the fact that  
they're tough and we're not is just a fluke."  
The leader of the group nodded in understanding and smiled slightly.  
"Well, that would make sense..." she commented. "After all, they'd never   
know if we were Scouts..."  
"So, now what?" asked Phoebe, leaning back into her metal chair as   
she spoke. "Do we just start training and hope to gain the upper hand?"  
Reeny shrugged. "What choice do we have?"  
The auburn-haired Scout smiled weakly. "We could always tell the   
Mistresses..."  
Since her first comment, the curly-haired teen with the smiling   
brown eyes had remained curiously quiet, watching the others with a bit of  
amusement as she sat between her leader--the Princess of the Earth--and   
nineteen-year-old Haley Ten'ou. But her slight smile faded as Alice made   
her suggestion. "That's not such a good idea," she returned quietly. "We   
should learn to stand on our own feet, because..." She felt the prying,   
curious eyes of Reeny, Phoebe, and Haley staring at her. She gulped.   
"Well, you see... I'm not in good standing with my mother right now, and   
I'm sure that the other Mistresses will feel the same way..."  
Gray eyes gazed innocently at the eighteen-year-old. "What did you   
do?" Ambriel inquired.  
The Shinto priestess looked to Alice knowingly. She, in turn, shot a  
brown gaze toward the third grader. And Celeste looked right back to   
Lyra.  
Lyra ran a finger under the edge of her T-shirt collar. "I'm...kind   
of... Not living at home right now..." She stammered in an embarrassed   
tone. "And I'm...kind of...living with Richard..."  
"YOU'RE WHAT?" The student and alumna of Crystal Music Academy, as   
well as the Princess of the Earth--all gaped at the young blonde woman.   
They looked shocked.  
Ambriel shrugged. "So what?" she asked, cocking her head to one   
side. "Celeste told me all about it at soccer practice."  
Ice blue eyes widened. "The kid knew?" Phoebe raised a single   
eyebrow.  
"Well, she's my sister..." Lyra trailed off and focused on the   
carpet.  
Reeny pointed an accusing finger at the raven-haired teen. "What   
about YOU, Tara?" she shot. "Did YOU know about this?"  
Lyra sighed. "Reeny..."  
The Priestess looked at the ceiling guiltily. "I see her at school   
every day..."   
"And YOU, Alice?" Haley crossed her arms.  
"Ditto with what she said," responded the young woman, jabbing a   
thumb toward the priestess. "I mean, when she told us at school a month   
ago..."  
Tossing a pink ponytail, Reeny managed to look thoroughly appalled   
yet amused at the same time. "This has been going on for a month?"  
"Given the position that you, Princess, are in," put in the green-  
haired child as a rejoinder for the embarrassed blonde, "it is probable   
that your encounters with..." Seeing the various confused and/or   
exasperated glances she was receiving from the group, she sighed. "Reeny   
probably can't talk to the Scouts a whole lot," she grumbled, annoyed.   
Peter smiled. "See, Sis? People DO understand you..."  
She didn't answer, but the annoyance upon her face was retort   
enough.   
Lyra sighed and crossed her arms over her shirt. "It's like this,   
guys," she began. "Richard was lonely. Ever since is parents died, he's   
been kind of...lost. All he had was Orion.   
"Not too long ago, she moved out of the apartment, and no one knew   
why." She glanced at the two kittens, Carina and Cassiopeia, both of whom   
were curled up in their proper Scout's laps. The others--Ara and Galileo,   
she thought--had gone with their parents to the Palace lab to study the   
strange blue marble. Smiling slightly, she continued her explanation.   
"Well, he was beside himself with the quiet of the apartment.  
"By this time, my friendship with Reeny had basically died. I hadn't  
heard from her in eons and..."  
"Well, DUH," commented the accused Princess. "I'm just a LITTLE busy  
with being the Princess of the whole freaking Earth..."  
"Whatever the case, I didn't really talk to her. And Haley had   
graduated, and Phoebe was always busy any more..." She expected the latter  
of the two to chime in, but she just smiled regretfully and shrugged. "So,  
he asked me if, for my eighteenth birthday, I would move in. And I said   
yes."  
Celeste bristled. She had a large urge to chime in about abandonment  
and betrayal, but she just pressed her lips together and let out a soft   
sigh. Dealing with her feelings could wait. Missing her sister could wait.  
The evil could not.  
She instead faked a brave smile and leaned forward. "So," she put   
in, breaking the silence that had ensued. "Why don't we get on with this   
meeting?"  
"Not much of a meeting, if you ask ME," announced Ambriel, only   
being partially sarcastic. "Why don't we discuss this new enemy instead of  
Polaris' love life?"  
They all glanced at one another, smiled, and agreed.  
************  
  
Red eyes glared at the monitor, eyebrows raised. "You were right to   
bring this here," she said rather blandly, trying not to show her dismay   
outwardly. "I can't make heads or tails from these readings."  
"Is it that bad, Aunt Diana?" inquired the tall green kitten,   
strolling across the laboratory countertop to stare at the numbers and   
symbols which were rolling across the screen. She held back a gasp. "I've   
only READ about reports like the ones that are coming out of that little   
blue thing." Ara glanced disdainfully at the blue sphere as differently   
colored lights each scanned it in turn. "How could this create a monster   
like the one we saw today?"  
Orion nodded grimly, pacing back and forth across the white tile   
floor, staring at the glass case which held the gem. "It seems to be quite  
remindful of the gems which controlled the droids of the Black Moon."  
"Like in the 20th century?" inquired the tan cat of his mother.   
After she nodded, he made a face. "I'm beginning to understand this less   
and less as we go over it," he told the group of Guardians, voice growing   
more concerned with every word. "If the Scouts needed power upgrades just   
to stun it..."  
Diana shrugged and hit a few keys on the keyboard at her feet. "They  
were really overdue for one," she responded casually. "After three years,   
you'd think that they'd have more than one attack. The original Senshi   
had..."  
"Three by the end of two years," Ara quoted with a slight smile.   
"Serenity had more than that, of course--she'd had eight by the time she   
was sixteen."  
"Ah," grinned her brother. "But can you name them all?"  
"Well, there's Moon Tiara Magic and Moon Healing Activation..."  
Orb looked at his sister, copper eyes thoughtful. "Do you really   
think that we're going to live through this all?" he asked in an undertone  
so that his kittens wouldn't hear. "Or is the world doomed?"  
"Moon Scepter Elimination... Moon Spiral Heart Attack..."  
His mate joined them on the counter. "I wouldn't underestimate the   
Scouts," she recommended sternly. "They did handle the monster very well   
today, even if they used a bit of overkill..."  
"Rainbow Moon Heart Ache... Moon Gorgeous Meditation..."  
"Overkill?" echoed Diana, surprised. "I didn't hear anything about   
overkill." She looked away from the screen and at her two companions.   
"What did they do THIS time?"  
"And then, there was...ummm...Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss,   
followed closely by... Wait, I do know this..."  
The calico shrugged. "It's not that big of a deal, really," she   
assured Diana. "They just found it necessary to each attack before Sailor   
Moon used her sword."  
"I could have SWORN there was another one... But I don't think I   
remember..."  
The pink cat gasped. "What? A sword? What sword?" She stared blankly  
at the other cats.  
"Silver Moon...something Crystal...something Kiss, I think..."  
"Her sword," responded Orb rather blandly. "You know. The one for   
'Moon Saber Illumination.'"  
"Well, what about Sailor Mercury?"  
Diana's expression turned more and more confused, and her red eyes   
grew wider and wider. "What happened to the Galactic Rod?"  
"That's easy! Mercury Bubbles Blast, Mercury Ice Bubbles Blast, and  
Mercury Ice Storm Freeze..."  
Orion looked away.  
"Then, Shine Aqua Illusion, followed--and this is amazing--by   
Mercury Double Ice Bubbles Blast, and then Mercury Aqua Mirage and   
finally, my personal favorite..."  
Orb gulped.  
"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"  
The cats all glanced warily at the tall kitten, who had an enormous   
grin on her face as she announced the three words triumphantly. She   
blinked her lavender eyes, pressed her lips together, and glanced at the   
tile floor. "Uh..."  
Galileo sighed. "The Galactic Rod broke, Aunt Diana," he told her   
matter-of-factly. "Sailor Moon was struck with fear and..."  
"Damn it!" swore the cat angrily, gritting her teeth and resisting   
the urge to scream. "Of course it broke! Doesn't she know that she can't   
use her relics if she doesn't want to be Sailor Moon?" She growled, the   
sound deep and throaty. "What did she do to it?"  
The orange cat licked his chops. "She threw it over her shoulder,"   
he informed her bluntly. "Just tossed it. Foosh! And then... CRACK!"  
Rolling her green eyes, the calico glanced apologetically at the   
other adult female. "Well, it's broken and she has a sword."  
"It did a pretty good job against the monster, though," commented   
Galileo optimistically. His brown eyes sparkled. "Isn't that important?   
The fact that it did a good job, I..."  
He was interrupted by a loud wailing sound coming from the computer   
screen. Everyone turned to see the monitor light up and numbers unlike   
they'd ever seen appear.  
And Diana's eyes went wide. "Oh dear."  
"Oh dear WHAT?" howled Orion, unable to understand the computer   
jargon that was rapidly filling the screen. "What's it all mean?"  
Ara took a deep breath and turned away from the screen, the numbers  
and letters burning her eyes. "According to the computer, that little gem   
is more than we thought it was..."  
Looking at his daughter, Orb raised an eyebrow. "And what's that   
supposed to mean?"   
She shook her head slowly, as if in disbelief of what she'd read.   
The computer didn't lie. The computer COULDN'T lie... Could it?  
"According to the readings," she stated in an analytical tone, "that  
gem isn't just part of the monster that they fought today." She gulped.  
"That little gem IS the monster."  
************  
  
"It's not LIKE her," stressed Lita, her tone growing more and more   
urgent as she paced across the kitchen's length, hands squeezing the   
coffee cup until her knuckles were white. She brushed a strand of brown   
hair from her eyes. "Ken, you've just got to believe me! Alice isn't the   
type to slam the door in people's faces!"  
Adjusting the ice pack on his nose, the man let out a sigh and   
shrugged. "Lita, I believe you," he replied in a calm tone. "I just want   
to know why she did that."  
The woman continued up and down the room, her high heels clicking   
on the floor as she pressed her pink lips together in frustration. "It's   
times like these that I find a need to BREAK something!" she yelped. She   
immediately gritted her teeth and placed her cup on the table beside him,   
out of harm's way. Her hands then reached to clutch the bottommost edge   
of her green blazer, and she didn't deny them that privilege. "And I'm   
sure that she thinks I'M to blame for all this..."  
"Lita..."  
"Well, Ken, riddle me this!" She sent him a desperate gaze, green   
eyes intense. "How is it that I can raise a daughter and a restaurant   
without the man that I need more than life?" Realizing what she said, she   
pulled her eyes from his and continued her pacing.  
He gulped. "Lita..."  
She drew in a sharp breath. "I'm an idiot," she growled, half to   
herself. "I call you and expect Alice to be happy again... I screw up your  
life and expect me to be happy about it... I..."  
He reached out and grabbed her wrist, holding tightly to it even   
when she tried desperately to pull away. He stood, his height nearly   
dwarfing the tall woman, and he stared down at her. "I don't care how   
guilty you feel," Ken told her, his hands finding their way to her hips   
against his will. "All I know is that something--something beyond your   
call--drew me here. To this apartment." He leaned down and kissed the tip   
of her nose. "To you and my daughter, dear Lita."  
Smiling gently, she gazed warmly up at him. "You felt something more  
than the annoying request from a whining hag?"   
"What whining hag?" he questioned, lowering his face to hers...  
"MOM! I'm HOME!" The door flew open and there was the sound of   
someone kicking off shoes and depositing a parka on the floor. "You'll   
never guess what kind of day I've had!"  
Lita's face fell and she stepped quickly away from the man. "Leave   
it to Ally," she mumbled to herself.  
The auburn-haired teen bounced into the kitchen, not noticing the   
tall man as she threw open the refrigerator door, missing the chance to   
beam him with it by scant inches. "Well, first, that ASS Ken showed back   
up!" she laughed, rummaging through the shelves of the appliance. "Can you  
BELIEVE that guy? Some idiot upstairs must've let him in, too, but he was   
convinced he had a key!" She pulled a can of pop from the door and   
straightened up, pushing the door shut. "What an... Uh-oh..."   
Brown eyes met brown. It was that same auburn hair, again. The same   
stubby fingers that ran in the family. The same...  
"Oh, Hell no," she spat. "Hell no." She glanced at her mother, the   
beautiful woman in the green business suit, her expression disbelieving.   
And Lita just nodded, mouthing a silent 'yes.'  
The teen licked her lips, tears of hate, anger, and sadness all   
welling to her eyes at the same time. They burned. Burned fiercely.   
They burned like the fifteen years of wondering had burned. They   
burned like the three years of abandonment had burned. They burned like   
the feeling she'd first felt on that day when she had read a note. A note   
on yellow paper. A note that said he didn't love them. And that he hadn't.  
And that he was leaving.  
And that he didn't love her.  
She threw the can of soda against the nearest wall, not flinching as  
it burst and sprayed the sticky liquid over the three of them. Her   
mother's pleas and yells fell on deaf ears as she glared daggers at the   
man who would be her father.   
The tears burnt as they fell.  
"Go to Hell, Ken Asanuma," she said coolly, head held high as she   
stared at him. "Go to Hell."  
And the yells fell on deaf ears as she stormed out of the Kino   
apartment, slamming the door behind her.  
************  
  
"Can we keep him?"  
"No." The little red eyes bore into her soul, and she glanced up   
from her sports magazine in annoyance. The little tan kitten, chubby and   
best described as precious, also stared up at her. She wrenched her gray-  
green eyes away from the boy and his cat, the image of the red Pluto   
symbol somehow etched into her mind. She shook her head quickly to clear   
her thoughts. "Peter, we've already got enough pets..."  
The child climbed up onto the couch beside her, the kitten purring   
at an obnoxious volume as Peter leaned his head against her arm. "Come ON,  
Unkie," he pleaded loudly, low lip quivering. "All we have is a goldfish,   
and that's Haley's!"  
She shook her head sternly, blowing a few strands of sandy hair   
from her eyes. "We have Delaney," she countered sternly, her will already   
beginning to waver. "She's like a little bald dog..."  
"Mother!" Hannah made a face as she glanced up from giving the said   
'bald dog' a bottle. "I don't believe you! She's a baby, not a pet! And   
your granddaughter, no less..."  
Alexandra looked up from the magazine again. "I don't see why people  
need babies," she commented smoothly, standing to get away from the boy   
and the kitten. "They first end up like Delaney--whining, crying, puking,   
and teething... Then, they end up like HIM..." She pointed an accusation   
at the brunette boy, who just stared back at her adoringly. She resisted   
the need to gag herself. "Then, they turn into Haley-before-Scoutdom, then  
Haley-now..." She held her hands in the air, as if proclaiming a victory.   
"And THEN, they get married and make you move in WITH THEM!"  
At that precise moment, Michelle walked into the den, carrying a   
little green-black kitten. The said animal was smaller than Peter's, but   
it had the same mysterious look in its lavender eyes, and the same red   
Pluto symbol stood out on its forehead. Behind her was Aeris, her little   
hands resident in the too-big pockets of her red skirt, her white blouse   
perfectly neat and straight, and a slight smile on her pale face. "I am   
pleased to bring momentous news!" she announced gleefully.  
"And then," Alex shook her head, "there's Aeris Lynne Chiba."  
Michelle raised an aqua-colored eyebrow at the comment but said   
nothing of it. Instead, she held the kitten out to her wife. "Isn't she   
CUTE?" she cooed, grinning madly. "Her name is Ara, and she's Aeris'   
Guardian Cat."  
The blonde did a double take and glanced down at the other kitten.   
Her mouth hung open. "Two... Two... TWO cats?" she stammered, eyes wide.  
One of the cats--the green one--furrowed her brow. "Well, of course   
there's TWO of us," she responded, hopping onto the woman's shoulder with   
relative ease. "There are two of them, aren't there?"  
"Two TALKING cats?" She lowered her eyes and glared at the tall,   
thin cat who was perched on her shoulder. "Or did I luck out and only one   
talks?"  
The tan cat shook his head. "Sorry, Uranus," he apologized. "But we   
both talk."  
Alexandra held back a sob and let but two words come out of her   
mouth.  
"Why me?"  
************  
  
"So, that's the story." Marie leaned back in the loveseat and   
watched the sun slowly set over Crystal Tokyo, her young face placid. "I   
know it sounds silly but..."  
The teenager didn't speak for a moment but instead studied her aunt.  
"So, let me get this straight," she said in a concerned tone. "You were   
changing insurance agencies on the store when the wiring went bad. You   
didn't have insurance, or any other money--all you had was the charred   
remains of a store and your apartment?"  
The silver-haired adult nodded solemnly. "And an apartment is hard   
to rent when you're trying to pay off all the cash you lost in the fire."   
She sighed mournfully and rested her chin in her hands. "That's the   
problem, Phoebe--all the items in my store were unique and one-of-a-kind.   
I had a lot of my cash so tied up in knots that I couldn't see my hand in   
front of my face. And now..." She shrugged. "I'm broke, Phoebe, I won't   
lie to you. I can't go to Greg, because I'd feel stupid, and I don't know   
anyone else. I lived in America for years and years and now..." Her face   
fell and her brown eyes found their way to the floor.  
The teen stood slowly, pacing over to the window. She plopped down   
on the window seat's edge, staring out at the darkening sky. How the heck   
was SHE--a seventeen-year-old Sailor Scout with, really, no way of   
supporting herself beyond what her mother and father sent overseas--  
supposed to help her poor, homeless aunt? The woman had no money. She had   
no home. She was Urawa blood. She was a wonderful person. They were   
related. They were family.   
"Blood is thicker than water," announced Phoebe, breaking the   
awkward silence. "I don't know how it compares to ash and burnt inventory,  
but it's thicker than water." She smiled gently. "Marie, would you like to  
stay here? In my parent's room?"  
A gentle, genuinely happy smile alit the woman's face. Her pale   
complexion seemed to glow as she stood and rushed toward her niece,   
hugging her tightly. "Phoebe, I could kiss you!"  
The girl grimaced and wrinkled her nose. "Can I take a rain check   
on that one?" she requested with a smile. "I don't think I'm up for it--  
not tonight."  
Marie chuckled and pulled away from her niece, bright eyes shining   
furiously. "Thank you, Phoebe," she grinned. "I owe you one."  
"Hey, what can a great human like me say?" she asked with a shrug.   
"Everyone owes me a one!"  
************  
  
Lyra folded her hands. "Well, Bobby's really allergic, Rich," she   
explained, chewing on her lower lip as she spoke. "And I didn't know what   
to do..."  
"Besides, you need to think of me as an over-all Star cat," put in   
the silver kitten, her green eyes imploring as she stared at the young man  
in the plaid pajama bottoms and sleeveless T-shirt. "I can help you, I   
really can. Look how tough I am!" She unsheathed her claws and raised a   
single paw high into the air. "I could shred your nice couch in just a   
couple of minutes!"  
He glanced through his glasses and at the boring blue couch warily.   
His parents had just gotten those redone four years ago. And he certainly   
didn't have enough money to reupholster in anytime soon.   
Richard swallowed--hard--and ran a hand through his dark red hair.   
"I'll take your word for it, Cassiopeia," he responded, shooting a   
meaningful glance at the short blonde with the curly hair. "But I need to   
talk to St...Lyra." He pointed to the hallway toward the bedrooms. "Now."  
They shuffled into his room, pulling the door tightly shut behind   
them. She settled herself in a high-backed redwood chair--the chair she'd   
sat in the day Molly had died--and he perched on the edge of the bed. He   
looked nervous. "Star, I..."  
"It's a cat, Rich," she told him sternly, her expression one of   
disappointment and annoyance. "It's our Guardian's daughter. My sister   
needs her, and the Stars know that we may..."   
"That's not it," he interrupted, shaking his head. "It's the fact   
that she might be in cahoots with your mother." He received a bewildered   
gaze from a pair of large brown eyes. "Look, Star, I don't want her being   
so nosy. I don't..."  
She laughed, sighing. She looked about ready to either run over and   
tackle him or to burst out crying. "So this all about my mother," she   
retorted, chuckles growing. "This is all..." She broke down and started   
sobbing.  
He rushed over to her side and, while he couldn't make out all the   
words of her crying, he could understand that she was upset with the   
Mistresses and with the fact that her mother had been so protective. She   
was upset about the monster. About Angel Moon. And about Celeste.  
"And I don't get to see her!" she cried, sliding off the chair and   
collapsing on the floor. "That's the only reason that I fought,   
sometimes--for 'Leste!" She punched the floor. "And she lives with my   
mother! On the other side of town! I hardly get to talk to her, and I can   
just tell she's mad and... ARGH!" Her brown eyes turned angry as she   
glanced up at her boyfriend, who stood next to the chair like a dear   
blinded in headlights. "Do you know how many times I've wanted to call my   
mother just to tell her what a BITCH she is?" Lyra laughed to herself.   
"But all I'd end up doing is make a fool of myself and losing my   
sister..."  
He knelt down beside her and pulled her into his lap, arms warm and   
soothing to her enraged self. "We can invite Celeste over some time," he   
suggested, burying his face in her soft curls. "We can keep the cat.   
And..." He shrugged and turned her face to his. "Your mother, on the other  
hand, will just have to grow up." And he drew his lips to hers, forgetting  
the world.  
From the doorway, Cassiopeia smirked and repressed a giggle.   
"They're so cute together," she grinned before starting down the hallway   
toward the kitchen.  
************  
  
"That's IT!" he yelled, kicking an empty park bench. The biting,   
cold wind of night blew his blonde hair every which way as he gazed at the  
lights of Crystal Tokyo. It was a beautiful city, and he felt almost sorry  
that he would have to destroy it.   
Almost.  
He raised his arms above his head. "Dark Power of the Earth! Lend me  
the strength!"  
His muscles began to bulge slowly as he spoke. The black of his   
uniform frayed and ripped as his legs and arms suddenly grew to twice   
their normal size. His blue eyes turned black. His teeth became fangs,   
large enough to rip through flesh and bone. His arms and legs kept   
growing, as did he--he began to get taller until he was nearly ten feet   
tall.   
When the metamorphosis stopped, his normal self was just a memory.   
He looked down at the tiny gray rock that laid in one of his massive   
clawed hands. "Bob, should we go beat the Sailor Scouts for Queen Ginnie?"  
He kissed the rock gently. "Maybe she'll forgive me for losing the Crystal  
of Illusion if I kill the Sailor Scouts..."  
And the massive, monster form of Kevin lumbered down the dirt path,   
starting toward Crystal Palace.  
************  
  
Tara sat straight up in bed. "Danger!"  
************  
  
Brown eyes fluttered open. "Rich..." Lyra nudged the young man and   
weaseled out of his embrace, climbing from the floor and onto her feet.   
"Rich, do you feel it?"  
He stirred and opened his blue eyes, blinking. "A monster?" He   
gulped. "Oh dear.  
************  
  
"Trouble?" Phoebe glanced down at the two cats. "Are you sure?"  
************  
  
Alice glanced up at Crystal Palace from her place at the bus stop.   
"A monster attack? But..." She glanced at the white bus that was driving   
down the street and let out a sigh. "Great. Just great."  
************  
  
She glared at Aeris. "Why the Hell did you wake me up, brat?" Haley   
shot, rolling over in bed and pulling the covers over her head. "Go away."  
"But, Haley, there is an extreme threat to our very..." She paused   
and hopped onto the bed. "There's a monster! Ara felt it!"  
The young woman sat up at these words and then glanced at the little  
girl. "WHO felt it?"  
************  
  
"Are you sure?" he questioned, hands on his hips. He stared at the   
little tan cat. "There's really a monster?"  
Galileo just nodded.  
************  
  
"'Leste?" The little blonde girl opened her blue eyes and glanced at  
the older child. Celeste was fishing through the closet, looking for   
something. "'Leste, what's wrong?"  
"Nothing Lila," she cooed, slipping on her purple coat. "Just go to   
sleep."  
************  
  
"MAMA! PAPA!" The red haired girl tore through the Princess' room,   
flipping on every lap she could as she ran to the giant canopy bed. "Get   
up!"  
Helios stirred and then rolled over, but the Princess of the Earth   
sat straight up, blinking her sleep-wary eyes as she did so. "What's   
wrong?" she asked, confused.  
Ambriel grabbed the Locket of the Moon off the bedside table and   
tossed it to the young woman. "No time to explain. There's a monster..."  
Reeny sighed and slipped out of bed. "Just the way I wanted to start  
my Sunday morning," she muttered to herself.   
************  
  
The Kevin-monster looked up at the Palace, black eyes wide as he   
stared, awestruck, at the great white building. "Wow," he commented,  
breathless. "It's strange to think that anyone would live there. Looks   
like a mausoleum."  
"It's not a mausoleum!" came a strong, annoyed voice from behind   
him. "It's my home, you rabid whatever-the-Hell-you are!"   
He turned around, only to look down at a young woman with pink hair.  
She wore a red, blue, and pink Sailor fuku and had some sort of sword   
hanging around her waist by a very nice looking leather sheath. Her red   
eyes were lowered in an annoyed, sleepy glare.  
And behind that young woman stood many more Scouts, all garbed in   
variously colored fukus, or tuxedoes, or--in a single case--in a white   
gown. He grimaced and stepped back a little.  
"I am Sailor Moon!" announced the pink-haired one, flailing her arms  
about and trying to look intimidating. "On behalf of the Moon, I will   
right wrongs and triumph over all evil!" She pointed an incriminating   
finger at him. "And that means you!"  
The Kevin-monster roared, and the little Scout stepped back. "Well,   
I am Kevin! Under the reign of Evil Queen Ginnie, we shall make the world   
a great place!" He held the rock over his head. "ROCK THROWING!"   
Flying harmlessly through the air, the little rock landed on the   
pavement between Sailors Comet and Chibi-Pluto. They both looked down at   
it, confused.   
"Uhh..." He pointed a claw at the rock. "Could you please hand me   
that?" he asked sweetly, blushing a bit.  
Sailor Chibi-Pluto rolled her eyes, pulled her Time Key out of null-  
space and, focusing her eyes on the Garnet Orb, whispered the words "Dead   
Scream."   
The rock vaporized.  
"BOB!" Kevin tore through the group of warriors and knelt on the   
ground beside the pile of dust. "What did you do?" He glared, teary-eyed   
at the little girl. "You killed him!"  
Sailor Aurora Borealis crossed her arms across her chest. "That's   
far enough," she told the monster, rolling her brown eyes. "Sailor Moon,   
can I PLEASE..."  
The leader nodded.  
"Rainbow Wave!" A rainbow crashed into the Kevin-monster and he   
groaned in pain, collapsing atop what was left of his rock.  
Sailor Moon wrinkled her nose, one hand resting on the hilt of the   
Moon Saber. "You know what? This is really too easy..."   
Comet rolled her eyes. "Reeny..."  
"We didn't have to DO anything..."  
The Master of Time (in Training) glanced warily at the monster, who   
was starting to move. "It's coming alive..."  
"After all, vaporizing a rock is hardly..."  
Kevin suddenly leapt to his feet, roaring and knocking a good half   
the Scouts backward with a giant hand. "BOB!" he screamed in agony. "I   
will avenge you!"   
Climbing to her feet, Sailor Polaris straightened to her full height  
and took a deep breath. "Starlight..."  
The creature roared and knocked her to the ground.   
"Shining..." He kicked Sailor Phoenix, and she fell into a nearby   
garbage can.   
Comet held out her hands, but received much the same treatment as   
the previous Scouts.  
As the fighting went on, Peter stood slowly on shaky legs and glared  
at the creature. The monster was now tossing Sailor Chibi-Star from hand   
to hand while kicking occasionally at the other Scouts. He made a face and  
drew his Time Key out of null-space.  
Two could play at this twisted game.  
He focused on the Orb. "Dead... Scream."  
Nothing happened.   
"Dead Scream?" He glanced at the Key. "Scream Dead? Dead SCREAM!" He  
clenched his fists. "What in the name of Pluto..."  
Beside him, his sister pulled out her Time Key and focused on the   
Orb. "Dead... Scream..."   
A glowing purplish ball of light appeared and flowed from the Garnet  
Orb toward Kevin, exploding on contact. He roared and fell to his knees,   
dropping Sailor Chibi-Star.  
"Celeste!" screamed Polaris, scrambling to her feet. "Celeste!"  
The Starlit Prince, who had been laying beside his Princess,   
clambered to his feet and dove, catching the young Scout in mid-dive. They  
hit the pavement with a resounding thump.   
Sailor Earth coughed and climbed slowly to her feet. "Sailor Moon!   
Dust this thing!"  
From where she knelt, gasping for breath, the leader of the Galactic  
Sailors pulled her sword free of its scabbard and pointed it directly at   
Kevin. "Moon... Saber... Illumination..."  
There was a flash of white light, and the monster-person was dusted.  
"What the Hell was that thing?" questioned the Starlit Prince,   
setting Chibi-Star on the ground and standing slowly, leaning on Polaris   
for support. "I've never seen anything like it..."  
"I don't know," admitted Angel Moon, wrinkling her nose at a   
splatter of blood upon her white dress. "And I'm not sure if I want to   
find out."  
************  
  
"Great." The woman in the black velvet wrinkled her nose. "Kevin's   
dust, and I'm still short one Crystal."  
Tina sighed and shook her head. "Well, you know Kevin... Him and   
that damn rock..." She shrugged and looked away.  
Queen Ginnie stood up and floated from her seat to the floor   
gracefully, the long train of her gown billowing out behind her. "Call   
Arthur," she commanded, her boots clicking on the black marble. "He's   
next."  
The young woman bowed deeply. "Yes, Mistress."  
And Ginnie left the chamber.  
************  
  
The Galactic Sailors Say!  
  
Reeny: (wrinkles her nose as she walks on screen with the group) There we   
go again with Butler and her leaving off at weird times! What the HELL?  
  
Lyra: (sighs) She's sick of everything getting zipped. She's trying to   
keep them short.  
  
Reeny: (snorts) Why bother? She's already the longest-winded author at   
ASMR! I just don't GET it!  
  
Phoebe: (smiles) Think of it this way--the shorter the chapters, the   
sooner you and Helios...  
  
(A loud whining sound interrupts her and a red light flashes)  
  
Deep voice: Plot almost revealed! Security breached!  
  
(Phoebe disappears)  
  
Alice: (makes face) Well, I'm a bit mad about the whole 'return of Ken.'   
Why did Butler bother with him, anyway? He was never a major character in   
SM, anyway! He was in one freaking episode!  
  
Haley: (shrugs) Look at it this way: If he wasn't there, then... (she   
pauses and glances up) Never mind.  
  
Alice: What?  
  
Haley: (whispers) She's watching...  
  
Reeny: Who? (pauses, laughs) That's absurd, Haley! Why would Butler care?  
  
(Red light. Whining sound.)  
  
Deep voice: Do not chide the author!  
  
(Reeny disappears.)  
  
Tara: (nervously) We... We were just going...  
  
(Remaining Scouts run off screen.)  
  
Deep voice: (chuckles) Butler says... See ya!  
  
-I Know-  
Look around...  
(Ambriel stares down at Tokyo from the top tower of Crystal Palace)  
So many things aren't clear...  
(Aeris and Peter stand before the Gate of Time with terrified expressions)  
Don't worry, though...  
(Haley smiles and turns a page in her book)  
You know that I'll be there...  
(Orion and Orb chase after the kittens)  
A lot of things are so uncertain...  
(Tara, near tears, bites her lip)  
The future's on its way...  
(Michelle holds Delaney, an amazed smile on her face)  
Look into my crying eyes...  
(Reeny wipes tears off her cheeks while Serenity watches nervously)  
Don't take your love away!  
(Alice slams the door in her father's face)  
  
Sometimes, the road looks long...  
(Lyra looks up at the North Star)  
And sometimes, the world seems wrong...  
(Phoebe hugs her mother around the waist)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(The six Galactic Sailors hold up their lockets)  
  
Sometimes, you feel weak...  
(Richard grabs onto the wrist of a falling Celeste)  
And sometimes, the future looks bleak...  
(Terrence shakes his head as Sailor Pluto walks through the Gate of Time)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(Ambriel, Celeste, and Aeris all hold up their transformation pens)  
  
Times will change...  
(Tara, robes flying, chases Joshua around the courtyard)  
People will change, too...  
(Haley plays with her now-long hair)  
But deep inside...  
(Helios takes Reeny's hands in his)  
I always will love you...  
(Richard bends down to kiss Lyra)  
I suppose there are questions now...  
(Peter tugs on Terrence's pant leg)  
The answers are so far...  
(Alice and Phoebe dive for a floating sphere and miss)  
But look at me and smile now...  
(Hannah and Brian both smile as Alex takes Delaney into her arms)  
I am your guiding star!  
(Lyra and Richard stare at Celeste and Peter, who are watching the sunset)  
  
Sometimes, the road looks long...  
(Lyra looks up at the North Star)  
And sometimes, the world seems wrong...  
(Phoebe hugs her mother around the waist)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(The six Galactic Sailors hold up their lockets)  
  
Sometimes, you feel weak...  
(Richard grabs onto the wrist of a falling Celeste)  
And sometimes, the future looks bleak...  
(Terrence shakes his head as Sailor Pluto walks through the Gate of Time)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(Ambriel, Celeste, and Aeris all hold up their transformation pens)  
  
I know...  
(Chibi-Pluto, the Angel Moon, and Chibi-Star stand together)  
I know...  
(The Galactic Sailors stand together)  
All you need is love...  
(All nine girls stand together)  
All you need...is...love...  
(The Prince and Princess of the Stars kiss)  
************  
Thank you, and good night! Errmmm... Good day... Afternoon... ::furrows   
brow:: Whatever...  
  
--KB--  



	3. It's Enough to Make you Wonder

It's Enough to Make You Wonder...  
  
Author's Ramblings: We're moving right along to Story 17. A quick thank   
you to High School, which gives us the wonderful time called Spring Break   
to work on Galactic Sailors. And congratulations to Dania, a Galactic Fan,  
on the birth of her son!  
************  
Previously:  
  
Ken came back, and Alice got mad. Phoebe's Aunt Marie came to live with   
her. The kittens got their marks. There was a monster, and Angel Moon   
enabled the Scout's power-ups. An evil entity called Kevin was destroyed   
during his search for some sort of crystal. And the Evil Queen Ginnie   
appeared.  
  
And that, my friends, is where the story begins...  
************  
  
The cold winter breeze bit her skin as she drew the coat closer to   
her body and walked slowly down the sidewalk. She most certainly looked   
like some sort of troublemaker to the passerby. Her jeans were a bit   
muddy--she'd slipped on an icy patch in the park and wiped out,   
splattering herself with mud--and her face was red and streaked with   
tears. She'd cried a million tears, it seemed, and yet she still felt like  
something awful.  
He had never, in fifteen years, bothered to see her. Or talk to her.  
Or even care about her. And yet she was his daughter. She didn't   
understand.  
Tears stung her chestnut eyes. The eyes like his. She wiped them   
away and climbed the six rickety wooden steps.  
He'd returned, of course, seemingly coming to be a breath of   
sunshine to her dark and dreary life. He'd come... Her father had   
returned. And then he left again.  
She pushed the third button from the top. The buzzer shouted into   
the dark night and she slowly turned the doorknob, letting herself into   
the building. She climbed the blue carpeted stairs, heading for the fifth   
floor.  
And now, he expected a warm welcome from the daughter that he'd   
neglected. She resisted the urge to laugh. Her words to her mother were   
too true for her taste. Who, indeed, did he think he was? He certainly was  
no father to her. He had, in fact, done nothing for her since the day she   
was born.  
Except, of course, break her heart.  
The door to apartment 5-C was open, and a short blonde woman stood   
slightly outside of it, her arms crossed over her orange robe. Upon seeing  
her friend, she smiled sadly. "Oh, Alice," cooed Lyra, rushing up and   
drawing the taller girl into her arms. "I wish you'd called before the   
monster attack..."  
She sighed and shook her head a bit. "I'm sorry, but I needed to...   
To think..." She shrugged her shoulders and wiped away the falling tears.  
And she followed her friend inside.  
************  
  
The sun glittered in the sky as she wiped her brow and smiled up at   
the warm orb. It was welcomed; the grunt work of scrubbing the long wooden  
deck of Cherry Hill Temple was not pleasant, but the sunlight warmed the   
freezing winter day and made the labor more pleasant.  
"Excuse me... Miss?" Tara glanced up from the over-filled bucket of   
soapy water, only to come face-to-face with a tall, thin girl. Her long   
blonde hair was pulled high away from her face in a brown barrette, and   
she wore a tasteful black knee-length skirt with a green sweater. In fact,  
she would have looked very beautiful if it weren't for the extremely upset  
expression upon her pale face. "I'm sorry to bother you, Miss," she   
apologized, bowing a bit. "But I'm lost and I would like to know how to   
get to Crystal Hospital."  
The priestess rose slowly, furrowing her brow. The voice and the   
face... They were both extremely familiar. "Umm... Yes, of course," she   
stammered, smoothing her robes as she slipped her sandals on and led the   
stranger toward the steps. "I'll take you down to the street and direct   
you from there, if that is acceptable..."  
Beaming, the other girl insisted that it was far beyond acceptable.   
Then, her gold eyes widened as she did a double take. "Tara Yuuichirou?"   
she gasped, staring.  
Tara froze. THAT was where she'd recognized the girl--she was the   
school's biggest gossip, Rebecca something-or-another. She glanced up at   
the sun and gulped nervously, whispering a silent prayer.  
No one at Crossroads but the other Scouts knew that she was a   
Priestess. Who would understand? Who would even bother understanding how   
much her faith meant to her?  
It had taken a very long three years to gain their respect. Coming   
into a school as a ninth-grader and having no friends... That took a lot   
of courage and hope to overcome. But she slowly overcame it, and then she   
soared above the shadow that was her loneliness.  
But she had a feeling that, in a school where rumor was truth and   
gossip traveled as the crow flies... She grimaced and then smiled weakly   
at Rebecca. "I thought you looked a bit familiar," she managed, her voice   
catching in the back of her throat.  
The blonde giggled loudly. "YOU'RE the little temple shrew that the   
freshmen were all buzzing about?" She ignored the angry green-eyed glower   
and gestured toward the temple. "You live here?"  
"Well, yes," admitted the raven-haired beauty, furrowing her brow in  
confusion. "But..."  
Rebecca's gold eyes flared in mirth. "And you actually believe all   
the gobbledy-gook that the professor of history taught us in class?" She   
grinned merrily. "Wait until the school hears about this!"  
Tara's heart skipped a beat and she reached forward to grab the   
taller teen's wrist. "Wait!"  
But the other girl had already taken off down the steps of the   
temple, suddenly forgetting about her being lost.  
Pacing back to the deck, the tempered priestess over-turned her   
bucket and let out a loud, enraged scream. The echoes of her voice carried  
across the sacred ground and faded into the distance after a few   
moments...  
Which was time enough for her to fall to her knees and start crying.  
************  
  
"Phoebe! Get your butt in here!"  
The blue haired girl groaned inwardly and ignored the cry, focusing   
on the TV screen. "And one... And two..." She continued her leg-lifts.  
Feet stomped. Something crashed to the ground. Someone threw the   
door to the living room open.  
She paused the tape and turned around slowly, wiping her face with a  
towel casually as she glanced at the newcomer. "What now, Marie?"  
The silver-haired woman stepped about three feet into the room and   
held out a small, slotted plastic trowel and a garbage bag. "Catboxes,"   
she commanded, a slight glare in her brown eyes. "Now."  
Smiling sweetly, Phoebe shook her head a bit. "I always work out on   
Sunday mornings," she told her aunt dryly. "ALWAYS. I'll clean the   
catboxes later."  
"No." The adult placed the bag and trowel on the couch. "You'll do   
it right now. Those poor cats shouldn't have to use those disgusting   
things..."  
Phoebe sighed. "Half an hour?" Her aunt didn't waver. "PLEASE?"  
Sighing, the woman nodded and walked out of the room.  
As soon as Marie was out of earshot, the teen smiled.  
"Catboxes? Bah!"  
************  
  
She sat at a large oak desk in her mothers' offices, staring at the   
white paper before her. The word 'name' and its sweet little semi-colon   
beckoned to her, but could she do it?  
Her eyes trailed to the ballpoint pen. Could she actually fill out   
the form that would carry her after from this place? She didn't know how   
much she wanted to do that.  
"Whatcha doing?" questioned a sweet little voice from her side. She   
jumped nearly a mile into the air and swept a manila envelope atop the   
form quickly, before glancing down into two innocent crimson eyes. Peter   
strained to see the top of the desk and stuck out his lower lip. "What's   
that you're hiding, Haley?" he inquired sweetly, glancing up at her. "It's  
surely not homework, seeing as you're not in school."  
The young woman brushed her bangs from her teal eyes and sent the   
child a stern glare. "Never mind," she commanded sternly. "Just... Never   
mind..."  
He pouted, crossing his little arms over his chest. "But it's not   
very nice to keep secrets..."  
"Peter! There you are!" A head of green hair and bright red eyes   
popped in the doorway. "I've been looking all over for you, young man,"   
chided Susan, stepping into the room and placing her hands on her hips.   
Glancing first at her son and then at Haley, she made a face. "Are you   
pestering your cousin?"  
Haley shook her head. "Not really, Suse," she lied, leaning back in   
the chair. "I was just going over some soccer stuff..."  
"Liar," interjected Peter indignantly. "You were NOT going over   
soccer stuff and..."  
"That's enough out of you." The tall woman seized the boy by the   
back of his shirt collar. "Aeris and your father are already at the Gate,   
and you're late..."  
He made a face and stared up at his mother. "But she's lying!" he   
protested, wrinkling his nose. "And I don't WANNA go to the Time Gate!   
It's cold and scary..."  
The adult just rolled her eyes and led Peter from the room.  
Letting out a deep sigh, Haley pushed away the envelope and stared   
at the form before her. There was that word again. 'Name.' Who invented   
that word? And how did it get so scary so fast?  
"You know, you can lie to Peter and even Miss Pluto," put in a   
little voice from the desk's edge. "But don't think I don't know the   
truth. Because I do."  
She glanced across the desk, her gaze meeting two knowing brown   
eyes. Her mouth fell open in doubt and shock, and she gulped before   
tossing a piece of paper at the chubby kitten. "Buzz off, Galileo."  
The cat smiled sweetly. "Now, come on, Haley," he replied casually.   
"I just want to know why you're lying to Peter and Miss Pluto." He batted   
his eyelashes prettily. "Don't you want to tell the nice kitty your   
problem?"  
"You're more annoying than your father on a bad day," she spat at   
him, voice low. Standing, she removed the sheet from the desk and folded   
it in half. "And if you won't leave, then I will..."  
"But, Haley..."  
"Bye." She strode out the door quickly, not bothering to shut it as   
she tromped up the stairs.   
Making a face, Galileo jumped off the desk and onto the carpeted   
floor. "I wonder what's so bad about Notre Dame," he thought aloud, his   
little pink tongue sticking out a bit. "It seems like a good enough school  
to me... And why would it promote lying?"  
He shrugged and padded his way to the door.  
************  
  
"But, Queen Ginnie..." protested the young man, wrinkling his nose.   
"I don't want to end up like Kevin..."  
The black garbed woman leaned back in her large throne, adjusting   
her crown ever so slightly as she glowered down at her minion. He was the   
same age and stature as Kevin, really, but far less interesting. With his   
brown hair and eyes, and with his large glasses, he looked more like a   
nerd than a minion of evil. At least to her.  
But she glowered down at him nonetheless and laid her arms on the   
massive marble armrests of her seat. "You DARE to question me?" she   
roared.  
He shrugged noncommittally and glanced away.  
She made a face. "Arthur, PLEASE," she pleaded, the anger in her   
brown eyes melting away. "Tina's not even here, so I can beg. I just don't  
want to put Seth or Rob in charge this time..." Ginnie shuddered.   
"Please?"  
"It's not that I don't want to do this, but..." He pressed his lips   
together. "Oh, Hell, I just don't want to..."  
Nodding, she let and understanding expression cross her face. "Well,  
I suppose that's acceptable," she agreed, crossing her arms. "I mean,   
when I 'just don't want to' do something, you know what I do?"  
Arthur furrowed his brow. "What?"  
A bolt of yellow energy flew from an extended finger and picked him   
up by his left pant leg. He yelped and clenched his eyes shut as she   
raised the beam--and him, too--to touch the ceiling of the great hall.   
"I most certainly do not question me!" she shot at him, eyes livid   
and intense. "I go and do it, you rotten scum! You piece of rabid horse   
manure!"  
He whimpered, and she snapped her fingers and watched as he began to  
fall the hundred-odd feet to the floor.   
"Okay! Okay!" he screamed covering his face as he fell in what   
seemed to be slow motion. "Just don't hurt..."  
Suddenly, Arthur stopped falling and floated gracefully to the   
floor, landing on his feet. Cracking one eye open, he glanced down at   
himself to make sure that he was still in one piece. Then, he bowed   
deeply. "Thank you, Your Highness. You are truly great." He glanced up at   
her apprehensively. "You are magnificent... In fact, You are the most   
magnificent evil Queen that I've ever had the pleasure to work for."  
She smiled widely and leaned back in the marble throne. "I know..."   
she sighed, her voice filled with content. "There's no one as great as..."  
She glanced down. "Where the Hell do you think YOU'RE going?"  
Arthur, who was slowly slinking toward the doorway on his tiptoes,   
suddenly found himself flying backward toward the marble footrest of the   
great throne. He managed a pathetic scream before smashing into the giant   
chunk of marble. He groaned and stood slowly, brushing off his black   
uniform. "I was just...uhh...starting for Earth..." he lied, pale face   
slowly becoming reddish. "Isn't that where the Crystal went?"  
She picked him up by a bolt of energy and pointed idly to the   
ceiling with a finger of her free hand. "Earth," she responded, "is THAT   
way."  
Screaming, Arthur was quickly propelled toward the black, rough   
stone of the chamber's ceiling. "NO!"  
And, just seconds before he rammed into it at very near breakneck   
speed, a green portal appeared and sucked him in instead.  
Ginnie let the energy deplete into nothingness as the portal closed.  
"I need to get new minions," she mumbled to herself, shaking her head   
slowly as though she were in pain. "Or maybe giant robots... Yeah,   
robots..."  
************  
  
She flipped the page of the newspaper, singing softly along to the   
CD player. "Just like a wing...spread your arms wide... Whoa..." Her blue  
eyes trailed over the articles as she leaned back in the kitchen chair.   
This was the life.  
And the life was interrupted by someone turning off her music.   
Her face turned from the paper to look at a certain woman with long   
silver hair and sparkling walnut eyes. "I was listening to that,"   
protested Phoebe in a dry voice, putting the paper down on the table and   
rising to stand nearly nose-to-nose with her aunt. "What do YOU want?"  
"Catboxes."   
The one word answer was not all too effective upon the teen, for she  
leaned forward and turned the CD back on. "When I'm done here, Marie," she  
said, walking over to her seat and plopping back down. "I always read the   
paper."  
"Bull, Phoebe," retorted the woman, turning the music back off. "At   
eight this morning, you said 'half an hour.' It's now..." She glanced down  
at her watch. "It's now two, and you've done nothing!"  
She glanced up again and glared at the adult, her ice blue eyes   
piercing as she first met Marie's gaze and then trailed to look at the   
boombox, whose switch was now idling in the 'off' position. "Later..."  
Marie stomped her foot. "LOOK at this place, Phoebe Solaria! LOOK!"  
And she did.  
The kitchen had managed to retain the outward appearance of a war   
zone. In the sink were literal mountains of dishes, with grimy, molding,   
and half-eaten food crusting the edges and spilling out onto the counter.   
Cabinets were either half-open or completely open, revealing shelves that   
could best be described as bare. The fruit bowl was filled with what   
seemed to be mashed black banana and gooey rotten apple. Beside that was a  
mountain of silverware, some clean and some just downright disgusting,   
and--on the other side of the silverware--was a carton of milk which, a   
few weeks ago, had been abandoned on the counter. A half-eaten piece of   
bread was molding atop the refrigerator, and beside that were two half-  
finished lollipops and a can of Pepsi with a 'best before date' from a   
year and a half previous. And that was just the half of the mess.  
Phoebe looked at the kitchen. She stood up and walked around, noting  
things like there were cabinets that needed fixing and that the only bare   
spot on the counter was the space her boombox was occupying. Her blue eyes  
studied the sink and the counter. They looked over the carton of stinking   
milk and the fruit-fly infested bowl of rotten fruit. They examined the   
top of the fridge. And then, they glanced back at the silver-haired woman.  
"So?"  
With a sigh of exasperation, Marie beat the countertop with her   
rubber-gloved hand, cringing as she splattered what was either spaghetti   
sauce or basil-scented blood onto both herself and her niece. "The whole   
HOUSE is like this, Phoebe! You've managed to make a nice little ranch on   
the good side of town into a pig sty!" She strode quickly to the front   
hall closet, blue-haired teen on her heels, and threw open the door. A   
few odd baseballs and tennis shoes rained down upon her, but she ignored   
them and extracted a bucket, and then a large red apron and a second pair   
of rubber gloves. "This house is getting a make-over, young lady."  
Gasping, she quickly backed up for the living room. "Marie, I...   
You..." She shook her head. "I don't clean! I'm not into that whole   
'cleanliness is next to godliness' thing!" She pointed to the sauce that   
had flown onto her white T-shirt. "See? I didn't even think to clean this   
off and--whoa!" She slipped on something and landed flat on her butt, face  
red with both annoyance and embarrassment.   
Marie bent down and plucked a brownish-yellow object off the tile   
floor, examining it with a bit of amusement on her otherwise stern face.   
"Banana peel," she told Phoebe, dropping it in the bucket.  
The teen stood and brushed her bottom off. Hesitantly accepting the  
apron, she smiled sheepishly at her aunt. "What was it that you were   
saying about cleaning?"  
************  
  
Alice sighed and shrugged at her friend, brown eyes focusing on her   
teacup instead on the other young woman's face. "I don't know why I did   
it," she admitted sheepishly. "But I was just SO mad..."  
"It makes sense," put in the blonde sympathetically, nodding at her   
friend as she spoke. "After all, the man comes out of no where after three  
years of abandonment and he seems to expect love from both you and your   
mother..."  
The auburn-haired girl took a long swig of her drink in silence and   
closed her chestnut eyes until they were just slits. "But that's just it,"  
she replied pensively. "My mother seems to be happy that he's back,   
and..." She wrinkled her nose and shook her head the tiniest bit. "It just  
INFURIATES me that my own mother could not tell me that she was inviting   
that ass back!"  
From his spot behind the bar that separated the kitchen and living   
room, Richard smiled gently at the visitor. "But Alice, you've got to   
remember that parents rule the household." He dried a plate idly. "They   
get to boss you around until you fall in love--then you'll get to tell the  
poor sap what to do."  
Lyra chuckled at his comment. "How are the dishes coming, sweetie?"   
she questioned in a falsetto tone.  
"Fine, dear," he returned, a bemused smile on his face.  
There was a breath of silence as Alice took in the young man's   
words. She licked her lips and smiled slightly. "I'm not going to fall in   
love."   
They both gaped at her. "What?" The short young woman stared at her   
friend like a deer in headlights. "Why not?"  
"I don't ever want to let a child be hurt in the way my father hurt   
me," she told her companions. "So I just won't ever fall in love."  
Richard crossed his arms across his chest and sighed. "Alice, you   
can't possibly mean that."  
Nodding, she smiled at him. "Don't get me wrong--I'd love to have a   
Prince like you or a sweetheart like Haley's Eric, BUT..." She shrugged.   
"Guys like you two--guys who won't break your heart--are so few and far   
between..."  
"Eric devastates Haley once a week," Lyra reminded the other girl.   
"He breaks up with her because she's older or because he doesn't feel like  
dating or..." She shook her head in disgust. "How is HE a sweetheart?"  
She shrugged. "I guess he is because he truly loves Haley," Alice   
responded, wrapping a strand of hair around her forefinger. "And because   
he will be there for her...someday..." Her smiled widened. "So, I'm not   
falling in love."  
"You'll miss prom," put in Richard bluntly.  
"Ah, forget prom." She stood quickly. "Now, can I use your phone? I   
need to call my mom."  
************  
  
The phone rang.  
Lita rose from the couch, where she'd been laying, watching the door  
idly, hoping--praying, really--that her daughter would come home. Home to   
her arms, which were aching to hold her. It had been one night, but it   
seemed like a tangible eternity. At least to her. Well, maybe it was   
supposed to be that long to a worried mother...  
Ring.  
She'd sent Ken back to his hotel. He was staying at the nearest   
Holiday Inn until he could find an apartment in the area. He'd not move   
in. Not with Alice. She'd had her heart broken. All she had ever wanted   
was a father, and now--she had none. Because he'd made a mistake.  
Ring.  
Mistakes were meant to be forgiven, right? Well, perhaps some   
weren't. She stared at the phone, thinking. Some mistakes were meant to be  
remembered. And felt. Forever.  
Ring.  
But forever was a long time when you were immortal.  
"Hey! This is the Kino residence! You know, the one with Lita and   
Alice? Well, leave a message, and we'll get back to you. Hopefully."  
How much did it hurt? It hurt more than death to be without that   
girl. Even for a second. Maybe, beyond her soul mate, this feeling was   
what true love is like.  
Beep.  
Maybe.  
"Hi. Umm... My name's Todd Walker, and I'm in your Bio AP class with  
you, Alice. I was...uhh... I was wondering if...maybe...you'd like to go   
to prom with me. It's coming up pretty soon... Tickets go on sale in a   
month or two and...umm... Call me back?"  
Click.  
She smiled and sat back down on the couch. So Alice had an admirer.   
How...  
Ring.  
Who could that be? Todd again? Possibly. Maybe Todd wouldn't break   
Alice's heart. After all, she'd had her heart broken already. Brutally.   
By the father that she'd both had and not had at the same time.  
Ring.  
She'd been hurt. More than life. More than death. Poor Alice. Even   
SHE, one of the Guardians of Earth and the Mistress of Jupiter, hadn't   
felt such pain. She'd been hurt, and killed, but this was a different for   
little Alice. Alice wasn't Jupiter. She was Aurora Borealis.  
Ring.  
And there was a difference. It was unabashedly not a large   
difference--it was the same blood, the same genes, the same very soul--but  
she was young. And not yet battle hardened. And she was easily affected.   
Ring.  
And that was the difference.  
"Hey! This is the Kino residence! You know, the one with Lita and   
Alice? Well, leave a message, and we'll get back to you. Hopefully."  
But did it really matter? The true answer was that it didn't. Not in  
the least. Soul or not, they still had to look out for one another. And   
she'd done a shitty job of looking out for her only daughter.  
Beep.  
"Mom? It's me..."  
And Lita reached for the phone.  
************  
  
"I hate Mondays," grumbled Tara, slinking into the classroom and   
taking her seat near the front. "Especially ones that could be plagued   
with the evils of gossip."  
Since the previous day's encounter with Rebecca whatever-her-last-  
name-was, she'd been on edge. She'd first snapped at her father when he   
was just asking the time, then she'd burnt the pizza that she was re-  
heating in the microwave, and she'd done a such a good job of making such   
a mess of the deck upon knocking over her bucket that her mother had seen   
to it that her after school schedule included chipping the ice off and   
washing it once again. And all because one stupid ditz who enjoyed rumors   
had to wander up Cherry Hill to get directions.  
And Tara was even beginning to doubt THAT story.  
"Well, well, well," commented some girl from across the room. "Look   
who came to school--the temple shrew."  
She bristled and was prepared to make a snide comeback, but pushed   
the feeling away. It would not go over well with her mother if she punched  
someone. And in homeroom no less. Still...  
A boy behind her sniggered. "You going to rid us of evil spirits,   
Missy?" He chortled and pointed at her. "Look! It's the 'akuryo taisan'   
girl!"   
The laughter burned in her ears. What did it take in this school to   
be normal? That's what she was, really--a normal girl. Who cared if she   
lived in a temple? Who cared if she could exorcise evil? They didn't need   
to tease her. She was, after all, a human being. She could feel. And the   
feelings inside her were those of despair. And hatred. And fear.  
"Akuryo taisan!" yelled someone in a singsong voice. "By the power   
of these post-it notes..."  
Another student went to the teachers desk and took a sheet of memo   
paper from a pad. He threw it across the room. "Look at me! I'm a temple   
priest!"  
She was not a violent person... She was not a violent person... She   
was not... The tears welled in her eyes. They stung as she watched the   
others mocking her. Laughing at her. Her heart felt like it was going to   
burst.  
The boy with the memo-paper--another sixteen-year-old, much like   
herself--walked up to her desk and glowered down at her. Dark eyes   
glittered with mirth. "Gonna cry, temple girl?"  
Goddamnit, she WAS a violent person!  
Tara leapt from her desk and watched as the boy reared back. He was   
too slow for her, and she caught him by his collar. The others, her   
classmates, gathered around and began chanting 'fight!' It didn't matter   
to her. She was deaf to the world...  
And she didn't realize that she'd hit the boy until he yelped out in  
pain and clutched his bleeding nose.   
"You broke my nose, temple bitch!" he roared, glaring at her with   
hate as tears welled in his eyes.   
She wiped tears from her cheeks. She hadn't realized that she'd been  
crying. "Do you know how it feels, you little pile of horse shit?" she   
shot, anger overruling her despair. He just stared at her. "Well, you   
should have some respect, and I just taught you a little bit of it."  
She stormed out of the room just as the teacher, a large woman with   
beady eyes and unreal green hair, stepped into the room. She took one look  
at the scene before her--one boy bleeding from his nose, the others all   
gaping after the livid 12th-grader--and caught Tara by the arm. "Where do   
you think you're going, Miss Yuuichirou?" she questioned.  
Green eyes filled with tears as she stared up at her teacher. "I'm   
going to the principal's office," she replied softly. "I just punched   
someone."  
************  
  
She sat alone in front of the mirror. Alone. How many of the days in  
her young life had she been alone? Too many. Sure, when her mother had   
first found her, she'd been two. And those days were filled with love and   
companionship. And then she'd been three... A little less caring. And   
four... And now five...   
She spent her days alone, now. In her room, adjacent to that of the   
Princess and her Prince. Certainly, she was a Princess too. She had to be   
a Princess. At least of SOMETHING...  
She sniffled weakly and stared at her reflection. Bright gray   
eyes... Eyes that saw much and observed more than that. Eyes that   
understood. Eyes that wished and hoped and dreamed...  
Then, there was that straight red hair. She often wore it up in a   
high ponytail, but more oftener, she wore it in a low, loose braid. It   
looked good. It looked right. And it made her feel like some sort of   
mythical priestess of a whole new religion.   
Her face was pale, with high cheekbones and a dainty nose and thin   
pink lips. Her mother often said that she'd be beautiful when she grew   
up--her large oceans of gray, the smile of her lips, the gentle curves of   
her cheeks, and all of that accented by such pretty red hair.  
All she saw was a lonesome little girl.  
Standing, she brushed off her white dress. There was nothing to do.   
Nothing, except...  
"Hey, Carina!" she called out to the vaulted marble ceilings and the  
tall white walls. "Carina!"  
The little ball of black shoot through the room, her face alight and  
whiskers seemingly shining with delight. "Yep?"  
Giggling, the little five-year-old angel bent down to scratch her   
Guardian behind the ears. "Do me a favor, Carina?"  
"Ooh!" Her blue eyes lit up. "What! What!"  
"Go down to the basement library," requested the child sweetly.   
"It's the one that smells real musty. And have the man down there fetch a   
book of prophecy and bring it up to me. Okay?"  
She looked doubtful, her grin fading. "But, I thought I heard Auntie  
Di tell you yesterday to stay out of the prophecies..." Carina trailed   
off, still staring upward.  
Ambriel grimaced, wrinkling her nose. She HAD been told that the day  
before, upon attempting to sneak down to the basement library. She wasn't   
supposed to meddle in the prophecies, Diana had warned. Too much of it   
involved the Galactic Sailor Scouts. And if she, a little girl, were to   
try and change anything in it, then she could accidentally end the   
world...  
Still, words like that were just to keep her from changing things,   
right?  
"Well, Diana said I couldn't CHANGE anything in the books, Carina,"   
she told the kitten in a confidential tone. "I just want to look, and   
there's no harm in looking, right?"  
She considered this, and then smiled. "Right!"  
"Good kitty. Now go get the book."  
The cat obeyed, quickly jetting through the open door and out into   
the hallway, her feet echoing as they thumped onto the cool marble. And   
Ambriel sat down in a plush chair next to the window and waited.  
'Prophecy is messy stuff, Angel Moon,' Diana had warned her, a stern  
glare lighting her red eyes. 'It's positively riddled with talk of the   
Galactic Sailors, and I really don't want you to worry about it. Or to   
change it.' She had shuddered. 'Changing prophecy is like...hmmm... It's   
like randomly picking one of the Palace's pillars and knocking it over.   
Maybe a little of the Palace will be hurt. Maybe none of it. Or...' She'd   
paused and swallowed. Hard. 'Or maybe all of it.'  
Ambriel smiled slightly. Words like that... She sighed and glanced   
out across Crystal Tokyo. "It's enough to make you wonder..."  
************  
  
"Phoebe!" Orb's golden eyes went wide as he stared at the girl.   
"What on Earth are you doing?"  
She was kneeling in the mildew- and mold-ridden bathtub, her rubber   
gloves, apron, and jeans all covered with various splotches of God-knew-  
what. "Cleaning," she told him, spraying some sort of cleaning solution   
onto the faucet. "Did you know that these things tarnish to heck if you   
don't clean them once a month?"  
He glanced at the faucet, cringing upon seeing the sickly greenish-  
brown color it had turned. It had been...silver? Gold? Maybe   
copper?...when he'd arrived. "You've been cleaning since yesterday!" he   
reminded her loudly, his expression still incredulous. "And you're missing  
school!"  
"Marie called me in," she explained calmly. "She said that I don't   
go to school until this house is actually spic-and-span."  
The cat snorted. "Like that will ever happen!" he laughed.  
She shot him a 'look.' "No one likes a smarty-cat, Orb," she   
retorted coolly. "If you don't believe me, go look at the kitchen. I   
finished up in there this morning."  
Padding out, he mumbled something about bottomless abysses. Phoebe   
smiled and brushed a blue hair from her eyes. At least she could have a   
calm, peaceful moment of scrubbing...  
Five minutes later, Orb returned. His eyes were nearly bugging out,   
the expression on his face was indescribable, and he did nothing but   
stutter 'oh my God' for another minute or so. Then, he shook his head and   
stared up at Phoebe. "Since... Since when have we had a green countertop?"  
he stammered, incredulous.  
She grinned proudly. "Since my parents moved into this house in   
2037," she responded, putting her sponge on the side of the tub. "Why? You  
like?"  
"Pheebs, I... That is to say..." He just gaped at her some more and   
then smiled. "I'm really proud, Phoebe! You and Marie did a great job in   
there!"  
Shaking her head, the teen's goofy grin widened. "I did that all by   
myself," she assure him. "Marie wanted nothing to do with that mess." She   
patted him on the head with a grungy glove. "Are you more proud than   
before?"  
He wrinkled his nose. "Almost."  
"Almost?"  
Orb grinned. "Because someone has yet to clean the catboxes."  
She threw a bar of soap at him.  
************  
  
"Here, crystal, crystal, crystal..." He stuck his head in a deep   
garbage can and rooted around in the bottom of it. Nothing.  
Arthur sighed and hung his head in defeat. How long had he been   
searching for that stupid orange crystal that stupid Kevin had stupid   
lost? He did a mental count.   
A day and a half.  
He sighed again. "That's way too long to be away from poor Bubba,"   
he thought aloud, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a battered   
photograph of a large goldfish. "My poor baby..." He sneered. "I hope that  
idiot Seth doesn't overfeed him again... Last time he did, I had to put   
Bubba on the Mayo Clinic Diet and he didn't like it one bit."  
Fishing around in his other pocket, Arthur pulled out a small green   
gem. It sparkled in the bright midday sun, and he smiled slightly at it.   
What a nice power it was, to be evil. It gave him authority. And fun. And   
it let Bubba, his precious little goldfish, live a perfectly healthy life.  
"Go gem!" he hollered, throwing the little marble-sized sphere down   
and letting it shatter on the sidewalk. Mothers shielded their children's   
eyes. Older people raised their eyebrows and avoided him.  
And then, the gem grew slowly, taking another form. Fins sprouted   
from its sides. Eyes appeared. It grew to be nearly twenty feet long and   
about ten feet tall.  
It looked like a goldfish.  
Arthur smiled. "There's a lake in Tokyo Park," he told the fish-  
monster. "Go and find the Crystal of Illusion for me. It's probably in the  
water because... Uh..." He furrowed his brow. "Well, it just is."  
"Yesssss..." it hissed, voice a sort of bubbly growl. "Yessss,   
masssster."  
"Oh, it's great to be me," commented Arthur before slipping the   
photo back in his pocket and fading into a bolt of green energy.  
************  
  
"I find it increasingly hard to believe that you punched someone   
like that," scolded Raye in a stern yet sympathetic voice, her hands   
folded in her lap as she knelt across the table from her daughter. "That   
boy may have been a lout, but it's still no reason to hit him."  
Tara scuffed her slippers together and stared at the carpeting.   
"Well, all things considered, he deserved it..." She could hear her mother  
'tisk'-ing with her tongue and glanced up, her bloodshot green eyes   
sparking with a little bit of the Hino fire. "You look at me and tell me--  
honestly--that you wouldn't have done the exact same thing."  
The exotic purple-eyed priestess looked away and focused on her cup   
of green tea. She was silent for a long moment and then sighed, her face   
sad. "You're right, you know," she commented softly. "I would have hit   
him, too." She glanced up at the teen, who now had a slight smile upon her  
features. "But that's still no reason to hit the boy, and you're lucky   
that all you got was sent home for the day."  
The younger of the two priestesses nodded sheepishly and once again   
looked at the floor, speechless. No words could describe the emotions she   
felt; nothing compared to the hurt, the desperation, and the anger she   
felt that was held beneath her calm exterior. Her heart felt as though it   
would burst. Her muscles were tight, her nerves frayed... She felt like   
wiring, waiting to spark and burn down a house. She felt like the waves,   
ready to crash into the rocky shore. She felt like the wind, slowly   
growing into a powerful gale.  
She felt like a ticking time bomb, aching to explode.   
"How do I do it?" she asked softly, gazing at her mother, voice   
eerily calm. "How do I suppress the hate I feel?"  
Raye smiled slightly and reached out a hand. "I ignored them all,   
Tara," she told the girl softly. "I pretended they were not there and   
focused on other things--things that held a higher place in my heart. And   
I succeeded..." The smile grew. "I think."  
The girl reached out and squeezed her mother's hand gently. "I don't  
know how strong I am," she admitted timidly, her eyes beginning to tear up  
as she once again thought of all the awful things they had said. Making   
fun of what she believed in... Not understand human differences... It   
seemed that humans had an odd capacity for hate. A capacity that was   
inexplicable. And, she wondered... "I know, Mother, that I am not as   
strong as you are." She stood slowly, her heart racing and stomach   
churning. Her whole body was on edge, her mere essence in pain. But she   
smiled in spite of herself. "I will try."  
Her mother nodded, and her smile spread quickly across her face.   
"Good."  
************  
  
The calm of the day was interrupted by a scream.  
Lyra Mokoti glanced up from her lunchbox, her entire body suddenly   
on edge. Alice Kino hopped to her feet, glancing around nervously. And   
there was another scream.  
"What is it?" questioned the short blonde girl, standing atop the   
bench they'd been sitting on to get a better view of the Crossroads   
School's cafeteria. And then, her jaw dropped and her eyes widened.  
A giant goldfish had smashed through the far wall of the large room   
and was slowly dragging itself through the building, breathing streams of   
water as it went.   
The taller girl glanced at her friend. "And I thought I was having a  
bad week BEFORE now," she grumbled, grabbing her schoolbag. "Come on,   
let's get the Hell out of here before the thing hurts somebody."  
They both took off down a deserted hallway, neither even considering  
to glance behind. The screams continued. The roars of the goldfish grew   
louder. The unmistakable sound of breaking glass echoed through the   
school.  
Once inside an empty classroom, Alice leaned against the wall,   
panting, and glanced down at Lyra. "What WAS that?"  
"I don't know," admitted the blonde with a shrug. "But it looked   
like a giant goldfish."  
Silently, the auburn-haired girl drew a small metal disk from her   
skirt pocket and glanced down at it, the lavender and midnight blue   
shining in the otherwise dark room. Lyra's eyes widened for the second   
time in a few minutes.  
"Do you really think we have to fight it?" Brown eyes glared at her   
from across the room, and she sighed. "Okay, okay," she agreed with a roll  
of her eyes. "I just really wanted to live through today. And possibly   
tomorrow..."  
"In a bad mood?"  
"I've got a big essay coming up."  
"Oh."  
There was a long moment of silence in which the duo stared at one   
another wordlessly. Neither moved to raise their lockets. Neither moved to  
say the words.  
And another scream shook the building.  
Alice raised the Locket of Light. "Aurora Borealis Galactic   
Power..."  
"Polaris Galactic Power..."  
"MAKE UP!"  
************  
  
"I was extremely...surprised...to get your call, Lita," commented   
the tall, slender blonde woman with the stormy eyes. She held open the   
door to the music academy's athletic offices as the brunette walked in.   
"Needless to say, I cleared my busy afternoon schedule of teaching gym to   
meet with you." Alex glanced at the other woman, how was just sitting in a  
chair, completely silent and motionless. "Lita?"  
With a shake of a head, the bubbly brunette suddenly came alive.   
"Sorry, Alex," she apologized with a slight nod of her head. "It's just   
that..." She watched warily as her sandy-haired friend plopped down in the  
seat behind the desk and poured herself a cup of coffee. "Well, we've been  
friends a long time, and so... I was wondering..."  
"Coffee?"  
"No thank you." Lita pressed her lips together for a brief moment   
and glanced around the tiny office in thought. The place was practically   
wallpapered with pictures of famous F-1 racers (Alex included) and famous   
track stars (Alex included). On the desk were a few of the   
more...candid...shots of the young woman--her and Michelle's wedding   
picture, a picture of baby Haley with her two parents, a group photo with   
both girls, Brian, and Susan's whole family, and an ancient picture of the  
ten original Scouts in their civilian forms. She smiled slightly at the   
last one and then turned back to her friend, who was busily draining her   
mug. "Alex," Lita gulped, her voice nervous. "How can you tell if someone   
is a lesbian?"  
Clutching a hand to her chest, Alexandra began to choke on her   
coffee. A surprised, shocked look filled her eyes as she gawked at the   
ponytailed brunette. "Wh... WHAT did you just ask me?"  
Lita paled and stared at her folded hands and the purse in her lap.   
"I think... I have this inkling my daughter might be..." She looked up at   
the other woman timidly. "Alice turned down a prom date today."  
A chuckle escaped Alex's pursed lips. "It's a prom date, Lita," she   
responded casually. "I went to prom. With a guy. And I am still a   
lesbian." She straightened up, flashing a proud smile. "She probably   
doesn't like the guy..."  
The other shook her head. "That's not it," she told her friend with   
a hint of remorse in her voice. "She said that Todd was a complete   
sweetheart. Smart, cute, and definitely the type of guy who'd bounce right  
back and get himself a date." Her green eyes turned sad, if they were not   
sad before. "And she's been acting funny lately..."  
Alex rested her chin in her hands and let a grave expression cross   
her face. "Well, Lita, if you put it that way..." The horrified pallor   
that crossed the younger woman's face was too much for her to bear, and   
she laughed aloud, leaning back into her seat. "Come now! You can't   
actually expect a girl who, her whole life, has run after guys to suddenly  
change her sexuality as a 13th-grader!" Her friend's expression didn't   
change. "What?"  
"That's just it," responded Lita, pushing her bangs from her eyes.   
"Alice has never talked about guys at home." She glanced up at the   
ceiling. "Her only friends are a bunch of girls, she seems to have no   
interest in dating, and I..." She shrugged. "I don't know what to think,   
Alex. Really."  
The blonde himmed and hawed for a brief moment, chewing on her lower  
lip and keeping her eyebrows furrowed. And, after what seemed to be an   
eternity, she shrugged.  
"Lita, I don't know if there is a way to tell," she admitted. "I   
mean, after you figured out that I WASN'T a guy, it did take you a while   
to figure..." A student walked into the office headed for the pencil   
sharpener, and Alex pointed to her wedding picture to be discreet. "And   
so, I can't say that there's a magic formula, Lita. Because there's not.   
You just got to sit down and ask her."  
"ASK HER?" roared the brunette, eyes wide. "Are you nuts?" Alexandra  
rolled her stormy eyes. "Alice is already pretty steamed at me for   
inviting Ken back to Japan. And you expect me to sit down and ask her what  
her sexual preference is?"  
The student, a limber girl with a mess of black curls, took one look  
at the two women and bustled out of the room as fast as she could without   
looking like a fool. Alex sighed and shook her head. Lita blushed   
noticeably.   
When the coast was clear of all students, the brunette practically   
jumped to her feet and, brushing off her black twill pants, smiled gentle   
at her friend. "Well, thank you anyway, Alex. You were full of..." She   
paused, searching for the right word. "Enlightenment."  
The blonde stood. "Lita, you can't just run away from what you think  
could be a problem. That's what my parents did and..." Her eyes made   
contact with something unseen and she trailed of, bowing a bit. "Good day,  
Michelle."  
Lita whirled around, facing the aqua-haired principal. Her arms were  
laden with books and papers, but the confused glances she shot the duo   
were unmistakable. "Did I do something wrong?" she questioned nervously.  
"Nothing, Michelle," the visitor assured her. "I was just leaving,   
in fact. Good day to you."  
And she was as good as her word, bustling out of the room like a   
gas-powered jet.  
The musician furrowed her brow. "Did I say something wrong?" she   
asked cautiously, placing the armful of papers on her wife's desk. "Her   
face was so odd..."  
"She thinks Alice is gay," replied Alex, sinking down into her   
chair. "Could you imagine that?"  
Michelle furrowed her brow. "Imagine what?" she inquired, sitting on  
the edge of the desk. "Alice being gay?"  
"No." Running a hand through her sandy hair, she chuckled. "Lita."   
The confusion still riddled her mate's face, and she grinned wickedly.   
"More specifically," she clarified in an amused tone, "Lita as a   
homophobe."  
************   
  
She skidded to a stop just short of the brick wall. Her entire body   
ached from the blast of water and she knew, that in just a short time, the  
giant goldfish-monster would have the better half of both of them. And she  
feared it.  
Across the school courtyard, her brown eyes met Sailor Polaris'.   
The poor teen was doubled over, nursing what appeared to be a badly   
scraped knee. It looked hopeless. Absolutely hopeless. And she feared it.   
She feared being killed by a giant water-spitting fish.   
Raising a hand high in the air, Sailor Aurora Borealis closed her   
eyes and mentally called upon all the power of the Northern Lights.   
"Rain..." She coughed and sunk to her knees. It just hurt too much. The   
water streams were strong. TOO strong. And she'd been thrown to the ground  
far too many times... Still, she had to try, right? "Rainbow..." She   
coughed twice and stood slowly, clutching onto a snowy park bench for   
support. She HAD to do this. "Rainbow... Rainbow WAVE!"  
A giant rainbow came crashing toward the fish, but he let fly a   
beam of freezing water. The colorful light met the water and there was a   
mid-air explosion that left neither the fish nor the girls harmed.  
"What happened?" questioned Polaris, putting pressure on her gushing  
knee. "What was that?"  
"I'm too weak, and we're equally matched because of it!" the other   
Scout replied as the fish glanced at the two of them, unsure what to take.  
"He's so strong... Though God knows why..."  
Hobbling on her good leg, the short Scout glared at the fish   
suspiciously. "I don't understand," she commented. "That Kevin-monster was  
SOO easy..."  
The fish threw a shower of water at her and it was all she could do   
to dive into a bush and out of the way.  
Aurora Borealis coughed. They were just too weak. Still, if she   
could just throw one more attack... One insignificant little Rainbow Wave   
just to keep it busy... Or even...  
She smiled and stood a little taller. "Aurora Borealis... SHINING!"  
A bright, painful white light filled the area, blinding all three   
inhabitants. She closed her eyes, but she could hear the fish's bubbly   
roar echo in her ears as it tried to negotiate without seeing. Her mind   
warned her that it wouldn't last long; no attack could when she was so   
weak. Still, she could pray...  
"Angelic Glow!"  
"Starburst Shimmer!"  
"Dead Scream!"  
The three attacks flew through the air. The fish screamed in agony   
and threw up dust as it fell to the ground in pain. The light of Aurora   
Borealis' attack cleared quickly, and the sight was obvious...  
Standing beside Sailor Polaris were the four Chibi-Scouts. Chibi-  
Star supported her sister on one of her shoulders while the Pluto twins   
stood back to back with Angel Moon fluttering in the air behind them.   
"Need some help?" questioned Sailor Chibi-Star, brushing a long blonde   
hair from her sparkling green eyes. "You seemed to..."  
"Oooh... My knee..." Looking down at herself, Polaris saw blood   
pouring from her wound and streaming down her leg. "I must've hit it one   
of the times I got thrown by a stream of water..."  
"What happened?" Sailor Moon and Helios rushed onto the scene, side-  
by-side and with identical worried pallors upon their faces.   
Wordlessly, Angel Moon pointed at the monster accusingly.   
Moon rolled her red eyes. "I got out of Classical Poetry to dust a   
monster?"  
"Dear..." warned Helios sternly, his intense blue eyes watching the   
creature as it groaned and stirred a bit.  
She sighed. "Right, right," she grumbled, drawing the sword from its  
sheath. "Moon... Saber... Illumination!"  
The white light glowed throughout the snowy area as the goldfish   
turned to dust...  
And left a tiny green gem behind.  
Walking over to the gem, Peter knelt on the cold ground and plucked   
it up, weighing it in his hand. "It's like the other one," he commented   
softly. "Except it's green. And it yielded a fish, not an emu."  
With a slight, mysterious smile, Sailor Chibi-Pluto glanced at her   
twin brother. "Could it, perhaps, belong to the same league of vile   
subordinates? And could those aforementioned followers, perhaps, end up   
directing us our latest adversary?"  
"Very good, Sailor Mini-Pluto," chuckled a deep, rumbling voice.   
There was a flash of green light and a young man appeared in midair. His   
hair and eyes were a boring, lifeless brown and he wore a rather bland-  
looking black wool uniform. "Though I never guessed that you'd pick off   
Tina's emu or my goldfish as easily as you did."  
The little girl bristled. "The correct pronunciation would be CHIBI-  
Pluto!" she shot, shaking a fist at him angrily. "And it does indeed   
surprise me that one such as you would dare to appear before his greatest   
mortal enemies!"  
"Aeris..." hissed the little Master of Time under his breath. "Use   
smaller words..."  
The young man laughed at her, floating down to the ground to better   
look at his enemies. He pushed his large glasses high on his nose and   
crossed his arms, brown eyes darting to each of the warriors, and lastly   
to the little girl. "Well, CHIBI-Pluto," he mocked with a knowing smile,   
"my name is Arthur. And I work for Queen Ginnie."  
Helios started and gasped involuntarily. His Princess put her hand   
on his shoulder soothingly, but his blue eyes were still as wide as   
saucers as the man continued.  
"I know that, to you do-gooders, I may seem heartless..." Arthur   
shrugged and, as a show of his seeming heartlessness, kicked Chibi-Pluto's  
legs out from under her. She yelped and crashed to the snow ground,   
landing hard on her rear end. Her colorful eyes glared up at him, but she   
remained motionless. "And I may seem like quite the horrible bastard..."   
He walked up to Sailor Moon and stared straight into her red eyes, and   
then--without any warning--grabbed the wrist her sword hand and twisted it  
hard.  
She yelled out in pain and dropped the Moon Saber blade-first into   
the ground. It stuck as she lowered her eyes. "What the HELL was that   
for?" she roared.  
Helios bristled and scowled at the man, but did nothing.  
"But," continued Arthur, "I'm really a great guy. In fact, I'm the   
greatest." He took a step toward Aurora Borealis and locked their gazes,   
his lips curved in a gentle smile as he seized her by the chin. "In   
fact... I'm the perfect guy..." He closed his eyes and pulled her face   
toward his...  
And yelled out in pain, gripping his crotch. "You..." He gaped at   
the auburn-headed teen.  
She scowled and mimicked brushing off her knee. "That was vile," she  
sneered with a sickened shake of her head. "But I really can't say I   
regretted it."  
Straightening, the evil man raised a hand and pointed at her head.   
"Dark power of the..."  
"Tsunami!" A wave of water came crashing down upon Arthur, knocking   
him into a tree and thoroughly soaking him.   
"Shining Dawn!" A great ball of red and orange flew high into the   
air and, spiraling downward, crashed into Arthur.  
"Fiery Crater!" Ramming into the man, a meteor opened a vast pit,   
swallowed him into it, and then proceeded to close around his body.  
Chibi-Star beamed. "Finally!" she cried, grinning.  
Sailors Earth, Phoenix, and Comet ran over to their friends,   
grinning wildly. "We didn't see a monster when we got here!" announced   
Phoenix, wrapping her arms around Aurora Borealis. "We were sure you guys   
were goners and it had escaped."  
"Let...go..." pleaded the older teen, trying to weasel out of the   
blue-haired-one's death grip. "Can't...breathe..."  
Arthur climbed slowly to his feet, limping toward the Scouts slowly.  
Seeing this, Sailor Moon pulled her sword from the ground and pointed it   
at the only man. "You stay right there, or you're dust," she commanded,   
her strong voice carrying through the trees. "Don't think I won't cut your  
bad-ass head off."  
He smirked and bowed the slightest bit. "You Galactic Sailor Scouts   
have proven to be worthy of challenge as great as I." He snapped his   
fingers and faded into a flash of green light.  
Angel Moon scowled. "He's one tricky bad guy, I'll tell you that,"   
she commented, glancing down at Chibi-Pluto before floating over to her   
and offering a hand. "You okay?"  
"I believe to be as such." The child climbed to her feet without the  
aid of the flying Scout and sighed deeply. "But I have an extreme desire   
to know who he really is. I do not believe all he says to be true."  
Helios sighed and shook his head. "It's true. It's all true. He just  
conveniently forgot some parts of the story."  
Sailor Moon cocked her head and him and stared, eyes wide. "You know  
him, Helios?"  
The man shook his head. "No," he admitted with a slight shrug,   
turning away from the group. "But I've heard of Queen Ginnie. She's a   
ruthless woman, born and raised on some dying star, and will stop at   
nothing to take over our home."  
"Our..." Sailor Moon blinked her large red eyes in disbelief and   
then shook her head, as if to free herself of unnecessary thoughts. "But   
why would she want to take over the Earth?"  
He turned to her and sighed. "Why would any evil choose to take over   
our home?" he questioned gently, touching a hand to her left cheek. "She   
is envious of the wonderful place we live." He smiled slightly, but it was  
a half-hearted attempted that faded into a dark frown. "Ginnie has the   
power of the Crystal of Illusion, a small orange crystal with power   
unknown to even the most intelligent scholars in Elysion." He gulped and   
licked his lips gently. "No one knows what it does. Not even I, the priest  
of that land."  
Sailor Earth closed her eyes and took in three deep breaths. "I see   
an orange crystal," she told the group softly. "Floating through the   
streets of Tokyo, unnoticed by all..."  
Chibi-Star's eyes flashed in recognition. "An orange sphere?" she   
questioned, staring at the green-and-tan garbed Scout. "Lila saw one   
outside the window a couple of nights ago!" Everyone glanced at her in   
doubt, but her face was too innocent and sweet to be that of a liar. "She   
begged me to look at it and I refused..." She punched the air violently   
with a fist. "Drats!"  
"You couldn't have known, 'Leste," Sailor Polaris reassured her   
sister soothingly, patting the top of her head. "After all, Lila's four,   
and children...extrapolate..."  
She sighed and looked at the injured Scout, who was still using her   
as a support. "Well, I suppose you're right," she admitted with a slight   
smile, "but I still feel like a crap about it..."  
Sailor Comet cleared her throat. "Speaking of crap..." She pointed   
an accusing finger at the drying blood on Polaris' leg. "Maybe we should   
have someone look at that?"  
Phoenix glanced down at her friend and then jumped backwards,   
grimacing. "Eww!" she exclaimed, flailing her arms wildly. "That's SO   
gross..."  
"It's just a cut," commented Earth, rolling her light green eyes.   
"It's not a mortal injury."  
She wagged a finger at the group. "That's what you think. Now, come   
on!" She pointed toward a large, looming brown building in the distance.   
"Crystal Hospital, HO!"  
Angel Moon leaned back in the air and giggled. "In our Scout   
outfits, no less..."  
"Does she know that's the Tokyo Board of Trade?" whispered Peter to   
his sister as the group, all dressed in their soldier forms, started off   
toward the 'hospital.'  
Chibi-Pluto elbowed him in the side. "Do not offend the frightening   
Scout," she commanded of him. "She may turn on us next."  
************  
  
"Look at that! It's the temple shrew, and she's shopping at the   
grocery store!"  
A week passed. A whole week. The battle was nearly forgotten.  
"I guess she likes green tea--a whole samurai army couldn't drink   
all that!"  
But other things were not, noted Tara mentally as she pushed the   
shopping cart down the aisle, carefully selecting a box of dry crackers   
off the shelf. Some things...  
"She's such a dweeb! She's wearing her school uniform at five in the  
afternoon! Doesn't she have any other clothes?"  
Some things could not be forgotten.  
"Probably just those silly temple robes! Becky Janders said she   
looked like a total freak in them."  
Ahhh, Janders. The girl who ruined her life was Rebecca Janders. She  
placed a few cans of tomato soup in the cart. Maybe she'd have to pay the   
Janders family a visit.   
"Well, I don't blame Becky for saying that. I'm sure she's... Eek!   
She's looking this way!"  
Tara turned around, lowering her eyes at two brunette girls who   
stood at the opposite end of the aisle. They both wore flare-legged blue   
jeans and too-big sweatshirts, and their makeup seemed to glow in the   
fluorescent lighting of the store. Upon feeling her eyes upon the two of   
them, they both smiled shyly and waved. They were no doubt laughing at   
her. They were just doing it silently. And they were no doubt thinking   
evil things about her. She sighed and shook her head.   
She had a fire reading that evening. She had a group of warriors   
coming over to the room of the Great Fire. What did it matter that a few   
kids--the most immature of the immature 12th-graders--made fun of her? She  
had her friends. She had her destiny.  
"I wonder what she's thinking..."  
"No doubt evil things about us."  
"Yeah... You're probably right..."  
Placing a box of spaghetti noodles in her cart, Tara wiped away the   
few tears that had fallen from her aching green eyes and shoved her way   
through the duo, making sure she was out of their hearing range before she  
leaned again a shelf and began bawling.  
She may have destiny, but she didn't have dignity.   
And that hurt even the bravest of souls.  
************  
  
Pulling her blue coat closer around her, Reeny glanced warily at her  
Prince. He was wearing his normal garb--a slightly silver tunic-like shirt  
with a pair of pants of the same color--but something about him... She   
furrowed her brow and remembered his words.  
'She's a ruthless woman, born and raised on some dying star, and   
will stop at nothing to take over our home.'  
Her red eyes glanced at him, the wary gaze slowly turning to   
adoration.  
'...our home.'  
"Helios?" she asked, scooting closer to the young man while sending   
Ambriel an apprehensive glance. The little redheaded girl was a good   
thirty feet ahead of the duo, skipping merrily down the sidewalk in the   
cheery Tokyo dusk. Reeny smiled gently at the child. She was a blessing.  
He glanced down at her, smiled, and took her hand. "Yes, Maiden?" he  
questioned softly, his blue eyes soft and gentle as they studied her face.  
"What's wrong? You look so sad..."  
She licked her lips gently and took a deep breath. "Last Monday...at  
the battle..."  
Raising a eyebrow, Helios' gaze turned doubtful. "Are you still   
worried about Arthur, my dearest Princess?"  
With a shake of her head, she stopped in her tracks, and he stopped  
as well. "Why did you call the Earth 'our' home?"  
"Because, my dearest Maiden, it is our home." He smiled and chuckled  
as a confused expression crossed her lovely face and her eyebrows shot   
into the air. "The truth is that I want to stay here. Forever." He placed   
his free hand on her shoulder. "Princess Serena, I love your planet more   
than life. It has flowers and birds, and..."  
"But Elysion has those things!" she quickly protested, her eyes   
turning sad.  
He shook his head. "And the Earth has my Princess." He leaned   
forward and laid a gentle kiss on her pink lips. "I could never leave the   
place that made me happiest... And, besides, I must fight alongside the   
Galactic Sailor Scouts to make the world a better place..."  
"Mama!" called a little voice from about fifty feet ahead of them.   
"Helios-papa!"   
They both turned to see Ambriel jumping up and down at the street   
corner, flailing her arms madly. "If you don't hurry up," she announced,   
"we're going to be late and Tara's going to throw US in the fire!"  
Helios chuckled and wrapped his arm around Reeny's waist. She in   
turn smiled up at him, her eyes shining with what could challenge the   
glow of a thousand stars.  
"Coming, Ambry," replied the Princess of the Earth, started to walk   
again. "Coming."  
************  
  
"So, we heard that your monster didn't go over too well," commented   
a tall blonde man with silver-rimmed glasses, who sat in a plush armchair   
with a large calico cat on his lap. "What happened?"  
Another man, with brown hair, brown eyes, and glasses, patted the   
side of a large golden retriever. "Rob, you must be an IDIOT to not know   
that the Sailor Scouts beat his stupid fish."  
Arthur bristled and clenched his fists to his sides. "My fish-  
monsters aren't stupid!" he shot angrily, collapsing in a couch astride a   
large fish tank. "Those Scouts are tough as nails! They'll do the same to   
your dog, Seth..."  
The brunette cupped his hands over the floppy ears of his pet.  
"...and to your cat, Rob..."  
"Like even," sneered the cat, rolling over in the blonde's lap.   
"Arthur, be a dear and toss me my catnip mouse."  
He stamped a foot on the ground. "You don't believe me now, Dolly!"   
he shot at the cat, lobbing the requested toy at her. "But Tina's emu and   
the Queen's frog will get it to! It's not safe!" Pressing a hand to the   
side of the fish tank, he stared at the large goldfish and sighed. "Isn't   
that right, little Bubba..."  
Rob rolled his eyes and dangled the mouse for the large cat. "Gods,   
he's doing it again..."  
"Stop!" commanded Seth sternly, crossing his arms across his chest.   
"It's a freaking goldfish!"  
The dog barked loudly.  
"My itty-bitty-little fishy-wishy..."  
Suddenly, there was a flash of yellow and a dark form appeared, her   
body covered in black velvet and her bright brown eyes shining. She   
glanced around the room idly and then plopped down on the couch beside   
Arthur. "So," she drawled, her gaze focused on him, "how did your Crystal   
search for the week go?"  
He looked away and focused on the dark blue carpeting of the room,   
folding his hand nervously in his lap. "Well, it started pretty good..."  
The other two men snickered and received a nasty glare each.  
"And it ended pretty good..."  
Evil Queen Ginnie smiled slightly. "Well, if it ended pretty good   
and started pretty good, that could only mean one thing." All three men   
looked at her, and even the haughty cat cracked an eyelid to see the look   
on the woman's face. It was stone cold, her eyes half closed, as though   
she had fallen into some deep trance. "You really screwed up in the   
middle, didn't you?"  
"Yeah..." admitted Arthur weakly, scoffing his feet together. "Them   
Sailor Scouts..."  
"Ah, I see," she commented, leaning back into the black leather   
couch and stretching her long limbs. "It's the Sailor Scouts' faults that  
you can't find the Crystal."  
Furrowing his brow, Seth glanced at the Queen. "Couldn't it be   
Kevin's fault, though?" he asked softly, cocking his head to one side.   
"He's the idiot who lost it."  
Suddenly animated, Ginnie pounded one fist on the arm of the couch.   
"I don't care whose fault it is!" she yelled, standing quickly and glaring  
at her followers. "I don't care who you blame it on, but I want that   
crystal!" She snapped her fingers and three yellow beams of light   
appeared, each grabbing a throat of one of the young men. "Just do it!   
You hear me, Arthur? Seth? Rob?" Her brown eyes glittered with hate. "That  
crystal will be returned to this very room! And soon!" She disappeared,   
and the energy went with her.  
For a long moment, the only sounds were that of three young men, all  
collapsed on the floor, gasping desperately for breath. They all glanced   
nervously at one another, unsure what to say as their lungs burned with   
the touch of cool, sweet air. As their breathing grew less labored, the   
silence became suffocating. No one spoke.   
At that point, the cat called Dolly hopped off the chair and   
sashayed over to the blonde man, rubbing her side against his ankles.   
"I'm hungry, Rob," she cooed, red eyes big and innocent. She batted her   
eyelashes. "How about some Meow Mix for me and a cup of coffee for you?"  
The duo disappeared in a flash of red light.  
"And he complains about the fish," muttered Arthur, brushing himself  
off as he stood.  
Seth raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps you should go search for the   
crystal, Arthur," he suggested as he brushed a strand of brown hair from   
his eyes. "You don't want Ginnie any madder at you."  
He sighed. "I suppose you're right," he admitted with a shrug. "Take  
good care of Bubba, will you?"  
The other rolled his brown eyes but did nod in agreement.  
And Arthur snapped, and there was a burst of green light. And he was  
gone.  
************  
  
She knelt before the Great Fire, garbed in her red-and-tan temple   
robes. Her hands were folded, with forefingers out and touching her nose   
ever-so-slightly. She looked to be concentrating on something or someone   
unseen, and--even with her green eyes locked shut--she looked to be   
glaring.   
In a half circle were eleven destined warriors, ranging from the age  
of three to the unknown age of an immortal priest. And thus they sat, eyes  
closed as the others were, clenching their hands to those of the ones   
beside them.   
Destiny had, for a long time, been a fickle thing for the warriors.   
They had, after all, a lot to fight for. And they had a lot of hope to   
focus toward beating the enemy. But, when it came down to it, the relics   
were what mattered.  
And they were there as well. In front of each of the soldiers was   
some sort of relic, whether it be a locket, a transformation stick, a Time  
Key, or a rose.   
"Now, concentrate," commanded the priestess, her brows furrowed.   
"Concentrate on the enemy. Concentrate on your relic. Concentrate on the   
Crystal of Illusion...  
"Rin, pyou, tou, sha, kai, jin, retsu, sai, zen! Show us what we   
must see! In the name of the Earth!"  
The fire flared, and each and every one of them saw, inside their   
very own eyelids, the exact same thing.  
  
It was dark. The only light came from a great glowing orange orb that   
seemed to be at the horizon. Alit by this orb was a young woman, her dark   
brown hair piled atop her head. She wore a large crown with a gaping hole   
at the brow. And she was yelling.  
  
The picture gave way to the streets of Tokyo, where a young man with brown  
hair was walking alone. Suddenly, he threw down a green gem, which   
shattered on the sidewalk and, from the fragments, grew into a giant fish.  
The fish started flopping down the middle of the street, breathing   
lightning as the first had shot water.  
  
Suddenly, a girl appeared. She was dressed all in gold, and her face was   
hidden by darkness. Next to her was a young man in a tuxedo and a crimson   
cape, his face hidden as hers was. They were accompanied by a woman in a   
red-and-black fuku and another woman in a white gown. Their faces were   
also obscured, but there was the unmistakable glimmer of a silver moon   
behind the one in white.  
  
Another image. This one showed a young woman in silver from the back, her   
blonde curls whipping in the wind as she yelled out to someone. There was   
the sound of metal ripping through flesh, and she collapsed to her knees,   
throwing herself atop some fallen warrior.  
  
The vision shifted. The warrior was Sailor Moon, her sword still clenched   
in her right hand as she stared, lifeless, up at her murderer.  
  
And the black-garbed woman laughed.  
  
"Whoa!" Phoebe's eyes popped open, only to see that the Great Fire   
was now only a pile of embers, and that the sunset outside the room had   
long since given way to a starlit sky. "What the heck was all that?"  
Gulping, the Shinto priestess bowed her head and said a silent   
prayer. What exactly had that vision been... Surely...  
Aeris stood quickly, gripping her tiny transformation wand in one   
hand. The rest of the warriors were also up and about, their eyes open and  
trying to observe the room, which was primarily unchanged. She smiled. At   
least the vision could be changed before it was made reality.  
And then, she felt the unmistakable urgency that meant there was   
danger. "Sailor Scouts and other warriors, I feel that we are in a urgent   
state of peril!" Her eyes were wide as she rushed to the center of the   
room, standing directly behind Tara and in front of the others. "That   
imagery of the young man and his enormous fish-like creature was not   
solely an illusion, but an actual..."  
Peter, who had followed her to the center of the room, cupped a hand  
over her mouth. "Monster," he informed them dryly. "On its way down Main   
Street, no less."  
The others all glanced at one another, and then at Tara. The raven-  
haired Shinto knelt prone on her pillow in front of the dying embers,   
staring blankly as the last weak plume of smoke slowly rose to the air.   
Slowly, shakily, she rose and wiped tears from her eyes. Her friends were   
in danger. She smiled slightly and turned toward them. "Sailor Polaris,   
can you fight?"  
Tapping a finger against the thick white bandages that were wrapped   
around her left knee, Lyra beamed. "I think I can," she commented, bending  
her leg slowly and then straightening it. Tears welled in her light brown   
eyes, no doubt a sign of the pain she was inflicting upon herself, but she  
didn't let them fall. "See?" she asked, voice a bit weak. "I'm fine."  
"Star..." warned Richard warily, nervously running a hand through   
his hair. She shot him a stern glance and he sighed, shaking his head.  
Tara turned to Celeste. "What about the Chibi-Scouts?" she   
questioned quickly. "Are you up to fighting?"  
The blonde child glanced at her three cohorts and nodded, a slight   
smile on her face. "I think so," she responded, glancing at each of the   
others as they nodded in turn. "Of course, we--the destined children--were  
born ready."  
Alice rolled her eyes and picked her locket up. "Are we ready?"  
"Are we willing?" questioned the brunette softly, holding the Locket  
of the Comets close to her heart. "After seeing what we did see--the death  
of Sailor Moon..."  
Helios coughed at the mention of the vision, his already white face   
turning an unfathomable pallor of white. There was a sort of fearful   
sadness in his beautiful blue eyes, a certain spark to his mystery that   
expressed a depression that no mortal could ever understand.  
But the pink-haired woman laughed, one hand on her stomach and the   
other gently touching Helios' shoulder. "Visions can be CHANGED," she   
smiled, glancing around at her friends. "We can prevent my death..." Her   
voice cracked, and fear--real, rational, painful fear--sparked in her red   
eyes, along with tears. She blinked them away. "And, even if I must die,   
at least I will have done it in the name of all that's good..."  
"Reeny..." Phoebe stepped slowly forward, but the Princess ignored   
her and instead grabbed her locket, raising it high.   
"Moon Galactic Power..."  
The others all looked at one another, unsure what to say. Then,   
there was the unmistakable flash of light as five lockets and three   
transformation wands were raised high into the air.  
"Earth Galactic Power..."  
"Polaris Galactic Power..."  
"Phoenix Galactic Power..."  
"Aurora Borealis Galactic Power..."  
"Comet Galactic Power..."  
"Small Star Galactic Power..."  
"Angel Moon Galactic Power..."  
"Pluto Galactic Power..."  
"MAKE UP!"  
************  
  
"Hello?" She brushed her bangs from her big blue eyes as the cold   
winter wind swirled around her. Her eyes saw nothing except the boring   
gray-brown pavement of Venus Street and the snow-covered dying grass of   
her front yard.  
Something soft and warm brushed up against her ankles, and she   
resisted the urge to scream. She glanced down, only to see the head of a   
little silver kitten peaking out from under her skirt. A golden star   
sparkled on the cat's forehead, and green eyes shone up at her.   
And the Mistress of Venus smiled gently.  
"Hi-ya, Miss Venus!" chirped Cassiopeia, her voice almost drowned   
out by her own purring. "Is Celeste home?"  
The woman crouched down and scratched the little cat behind her   
ears. "As a matter of fact, none of the kids are home right now," Mina   
told her with a sigh. "Celeste is at the Scout Meeting, and the others are  
out with their dad."  
"Aw, shucks," put in the little cat, sitting on her haunches. "I   
thought that maybe the Chibi-Scouts weren't going to the meeting... After   
all, when Rich and Lyra left, they didn't seem..." She paused, glancing at  
the blonde. Mina had turned a ghostly color of white and had suddenly   
grabbed onto the wall, as though she was going to tumble over if she   
weren't careful enough. "Did I say something wrong?"  
Blue eyes blinked and focused on the cat. "Are you staying with   
Richard and Lyra?" she asked softly, swallowing.  
Cassiopeia nodded cheerily. "Yep! They're real good to me, too! I   
like to sleep in Lyra's room cause she doesn't toss too much when she   
sleeps!" Her face suddenly scrunched up into a disgusted scowl. "But   
Richard does. He kicks A LOT..."  
The kitten continued on with her charming anecdotes about her life   
with the young couple, but her stories never managed to penetrate Mina's   
ears. She let herself slowly sink completely down to the floor, hugging   
her knees to her chest.  
She knew that they were in danger. They were destined warriors,   
protectors of the world and defenders of justice. They would carry both   
themselves and one another across the plains of despair and deliver the   
world into the promised land of peace with just a wave of their hands.   
They had proven that their love could withstand all obstacles. Even death.  
But how were they to survive alone? Without the protective wing of a  
Mistress held over their heads?  
Or perhaps, it was just that. The Scouts, after all, were heading   
back into battle. She knew that from Celeste's behaviors and actions of   
the last few days. They were fighting an enemy, and they would not let the  
Mistresses get in the way of their being on their own. It was the way of   
the Sailor Scouts.  
But Lyra wasn't ready, was she? Her heart wasn't brave... Her hands   
still shook when she fought... She was no hero, yet.  
Mina sighed, her eyes welling up with tears. She had lost her   
daughter to destiny. How could she have done that? She'd been blind to her  
child's eternal love, and...  
Her only connection to the young woman was this happy-go-lucky   
silver kitten. And Celeste. Perhaps...  
A slight smile touched her pale lips and she glanced down at the   
kitten, wiping away the tears that had slowly fallen. "Cassiopeia?"  
The little cat froze. She'd been halfway through some frivolous   
sentence when the woman spoke up. "Yes, Miss Venus?"  
"Could you...perhaps...watch Lyra and Richard for me?" she asked   
gently, running her hand down the cat's back. "And tell me, once a week,   
how they're doing?"  
Glancing up, Cassiopeia choked on her one-word answer. The sky-blue   
eyes that stared down at her were glittering with unshed tears, and the   
smile on pale pink lips was so very hopeful... She reached forward a paw   
and touched it to one of the Mistress' hands gently. She tried to say her   
first answer, but the word 'no' caught in her chest, somehow. Right next   
to her heart.  
She nodded. "Sure, Miss Venus," she smiled, rubbing her head against  
the warm, peach hand that laid on the tile floor. "I'm a Guardian, right?   
And, since I can't guard Chibi-Star cause her brother's allergic, I've   
gotta guard somebody, right?" Her green eyes smiled up at the woman.  
"Yes..." Mina pet the cat, her smile gentle and sad. "That's right."  
************  
  
Helios dove into Sailor Moon and threw them both clear of a blot of   
lightning. They landed in a heap across the street, both gasping for   
breath and glancing nervously around the single block of Main Street they   
were fighting on.  
Sailor Scouts were scattered here and there, some unconscious and   
others just dazed. Sailor Polaris and the Starlit Prince stood back to   
back on the far side of the monster, throwing purple roses and streams of   
stardust respectively at it. The attacks did little more than slow the   
fish, and even that didn't help the peril of the others. The Chibi-Scouts   
had tried their hardest, only to find themselves being, one after another,  
thrown into one of the many buildings surrounding them.   
"Nothing helps!" screamed Sailor Moon, climbing slowly to her feet   
and pushing one of her pigtails out from in front of her eyes. She drew   
her sword slowly, raising it high into the air. "It's obvious what I have   
to do!"  
Her prince grabbed her by the shoulder and pointed to the fish.   
"You can't run headlong into it with your sword," he pointed out, voice   
nervous. "It would be suicide."  
She smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "But if I die now, I don't   
die later," she told him with a chuckle. His eyes widened and he turned a   
ghostly shade of white. "Just kidding, Helios," she assured him, pulling  
herself free of his grip. "Trust me."  
"I always have," he whispered, voice far off. "I always will."  
Sailor Moon touched a hand to his and then turned away, holding the   
sword out in front of her. "Okay, fish food breath!" she screamed at the   
monster. "You've done far enough, and you're going to pay dearly for what   
you've done! In the name of the Moon, you're dead meat!"  
With a desperate, twisted battle cry, she took off running, raising   
the sword above her head. She leapt deftly into the air, avoiding a stream  
of electricity that shot toward her.   
And she plunged the Moon Saber into the fish's back.  
There was a sickening echo of cracking bone as the fish screamed out  
in pain, falling to the ground and trashing wildly. Sailor Moon pulled the  
sword from his body and jumped away, once again raising the saber above   
her head. "Moon..."  
A bolt of lightning flashed, knocking her against a street lamp.  
"Sailor Moon!" screamed Helios, dashing after her. The fish sent a   
stream of lightning toward him, but he avoided it and pointed a finger at   
the creature. "By the power of Elysion!"   
The fish froze in mid-attack.  
"What the..." Sailor Polaris and the Starlit Prince circled the fish  
slowly, eyes wide as they studied his orange-yellow scales and his vile,   
hateful green eyes. They joined the group of Scouts, who were slowly   
regaining their strength and stood, gaping, at the motionless monster.  
Sailor Earth coughed and brushed some dust from her fuku. "It seems   
that Helios froze it," she told the others, rubbing her temples. "I   
remember coming to and hearing the word 'Elysion.'"  
"Then he's one strong Prince," put in Phoenix casually, throwing a   
rock at the creature and watching as it bounced off him and rolled down   
the street, away from the Scouts.  
"Yeah," agreed Comet and Aurora Borealis in a stunned unison.   
From her spot at the lamppost's foot, Sailor Moon groaned and opened  
her red eyes. "What... What happened..."  
Chuckling, her prince lifted her gently to her feet and brushed a   
few loose pink strands of hair from her face. "A bolt of electricity   
broad-sided you," he explained softly enveloping the young woman with his   
arms and hugging her to his chest. "And you looked like you would surely   
die..."  
She smiled slightly and looked him in the eye, her face alight. "You  
worry too much, my Prince," she giggled, kissing him on the cheek. "You   
said you trusted me..."  
"Sailor Moon!" chorused a group of voices. She pulled away from the   
young man just in time to see the giant goldfish break free of Helios'   
spell. It roared in agony, and her eyes trailed down to the bloodied   
sword.  
What must be done...  
A bolt of lightning flashed suddenly, and she drew in a sharp   
breath. The fish was aiming for the congregation of Scouts! Earth,   
Polaris, Phoenix, Aurora Borealis, Comet, and the Starlit Prince... All   
doomed...  
"Angelic Glow!"  
There was a flash of overpowering silver light, which hit and   
pressed against the beam of electricity from the fish. The two powers were  
nearly matched, pushing against one another with all heart and soul as the  
others watched, awestruck.  
On the sidewalk, very near Sailor Moon and her Prince was Angel   
Moon, the butts of her hands pressed together as the silver erupted from   
the palms. "Sailor Moon!" she called loudly. "Do it now!"  
The blade of the sword sparkled in the moonlight as the pink-haired   
heroine raised the weapon above her head. "Moon... Saber... Illumination!"  
There was a flash, and a humming sound. And the fish changed into a   
pile of dust and a tiny green gem.  
Peter limped slowly over to the gem, using his Time Key as a crutch.  
"Another..."  
Sailor Phoenix flipped a blue braid behind her shoulder and stomped   
the ground with one of her ballet slippers. "The longer this goes on, the   
less I understand!" she roared in frustration.  
Chuckling, Angel Moon and Chibi-Star walked over to join the group   
while Chibi-Pluto went to discuss the gem with her brother. "I think we   
all need a good night's sleep..." commented the red-haired angel with a   
yawn and a stretch of her long arms. "I'm sleepy..."  
"It's only..." The Starlit Prince gazed at his watch and pushed his   
mask up on his nose, jaw dropping open. "Oh my. It's far past midnight..."  
Sailor Moon wrinkled her nose and gripped Angel Moon's hand. "And on  
a school night, no less!" She glowered at the little girl. "You should be   
in bed, not fighting evil."  
"But I don't GO to school," protested the child, trying to wretch   
her hand free of the death grip on it. "And, besides, I was the one who   
saved your butt!"  
Helios just shook his head and followed the duo down the street.   
The rest of the group glanced at one another, unsure what to say.   
And then, footsteps echoed on the pavement.  
"Sailor Earth!" called Polaris, taking a wary step on her bad leg.   
"Where are you going?"  
The raven-haired girl turned slowly around, glancing softly at her   
friend. "I need to go...think..." she sighed and shrugged her shoulders.   
"I've had a rough week..."  
Chibi-Star grinned and waved cheerily. "Don't let it get to you,   
Tara!" she called after the downtrodden Scout. "Someone does understand!"  
She froze for a moment, thinking of the child's words. Surely...   
Surely, she didn't know what was going on.  
Sighing again, Sailor Earth continued down the street, her tears   
glistening in the moonlight.  
************  
  
She looked at herself in the mirror.   
Her room was filled with the soft silver glow of the beautiful gray   
orb that hung in the heavens. Of course, she could care less about the   
beauty of the world or the mystery of the moon. Because her heart ached   
inside.  
"Celeste was wrong," she told herself stubbornly, glancing down at   
the pair of blue-handled scissors in her hand. "No one understands how it   
feels to be so alone."  
Her eyes met the glowing green ones of her reflection. The silken   
blackish-purple strands of hair sparkled in the pale light. Her high   
cheek bones and dainty nose seemed to be laughed at by that beautiful,   
exotic, mystical hair.  
She sighed and glanced one last time at the scissors. All this...   
Done because of what they said? Was all this change needed just to be   
normal?  
"Yes," she answered herself aloud, placing her fingers in the   
appropriate holes of the scissors and drawing an inch-wide section of   
hair in front of her face. It tumbled gently into her lap and she knew   
that, had she not been sitting, that it would have fallen all the way to   
her knees.  
She took a deep breath and opened the scissors. She picked them up   
put them at about the level of her ears...  
The raven-colored hair, so long a symbol of her mother's family,   
shone in the moonlight as it tumbled gently to the floor.  
***********  
  
Galactic Sailors Say!  
  
Reeny: (entering with whole group sans Tara) People can say really,   
really, REALLY lousy things.  
  
(Clips of the kids at school teasing Tara mercilessly)  
  
Alice: (sad smile) People can also jump to conclusions because of one   
little action.  
  
(Clip of Lita asking Alex something and Alex choking on her coffee)  
  
Lyra: (sigh) Or, people are up to no good...  
  
(Clip of Mina talking to Cassiopeia)  
  
Phoebe: (grin) Or, they make you CLEAN.  
  
(Clip of Marie splattering herself and her niece with that nasty sauce)  
  
Haley: (scolding) But never, EVER, hit them!  
  
(Clip of Tara slugging the boy)  
  
Reeny: (same) They most likely don't deserve it. And, even if they DO, you  
shouldn't hurt them!  
  
(Clip of Phoebe chucking the bar of soap at Orb)  
  
Phoebe: (pause) Unless, of course, they're evil scum.  
  
(Clip of the three attacks bowling over Arthur and Sailor Moon threatening  
him with the Saber)  
  
Alice: (rolling eyes) Phoebe...  
  
Reeny: Sailor Moon says...  
  
All: See ya!  
  
-I Know-  
Look around...  
(Ambriel stares down at Tokyo from the top tower of Crystal Palace)  
So many things aren't clear...  
(Aeris and Peter stand before the Gate of Time with terrified expressions)  
Don't worry, though...  
(Haley smiles and turns a page in her book)  
You know that I'll be there...  
(Orion and Orb chase after the kittens)  
A lot of things are so uncertain...  
(Tara, near tears, bites her lip)  
The future's on its way...  
(Michelle holds Delaney, an amazed smile on her face)  
Look into my crying eyes...  
(Reeny wipes tears off her cheeks while Serenity watches nervously)  
Don't take your love away!  
(Alice slams the door in her father's face)  
  
Sometimes, the road looks long...  
(Lyra looks up at the North Star)  
And sometimes, the world seems wrong...  
(Phoebe hugs her mother around the waist)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(The six Galactic Sailors hold up their lockets)  
  
Sometimes, you feel weak...  
(Richard grabs onto the wrist of a falling Celeste)  
And sometimes, the future looks bleak...  
(Terrence shakes his head as Sailor Pluto walks through the Gate of Time)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(Ambriel, Celeste, and Aeris all hold up their transformation pens)  
  
Times will change...  
(Tara, robes flying, chases Joshua around the courtyard)  
People will change, too...  
(Haley plays with her now-long hair)  
But deep inside...  
(Helios takes Reeny's hands in his)  
I always will love you...  
(Richard bends down to kiss Lyra)  
I suppose there are questions now...  
(Peter tugs on Terrence's pant leg)  
The answers are so far...  
(Alice and Phoebe dive for a floating sphere and miss)  
But look at me and smile now...  
(Hannah and Brian both smile as Alex takes Delaney into her arms)  
I am your guiding star!  
(Lyra and Richard stare at Celeste and Peter, who are watching the sunset)  
  
Sometimes, the road looks long...  
(Lyra looks up at the North Star)  
And sometimes, the world seems wrong...  
(Phoebe hugs her mother around the waist)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(The six Galactic Sailors hold up their lockets)  
  
Sometimes, you feel weak...  
(Richard grabs onto the wrist of a falling Celeste)  
And sometimes, the future looks bleak...  
(Terrence shakes his head as Sailor Pluto walks through the Gate of Time)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(Ambriel, Celeste, and Aeris all hold up their transformation pens)  
  
I know...  
(Chibi-Pluto, the Angel Moon, and Chibi-Star stand together)  
I know...  
(The Galactic Sailors stand together)  
All you need is love...  
(All nine girls stand together)  
All you need...is...love...  
(The Prince and Princess of the Stars kiss)  
************  
  
Two things:   
  
1.) For those of you who didn't catch it, Alice is NOT a lesbian. However,  
Lita does not know about her vow to never fall in love. And she probably   
wouldn't be too happy about that, anyway.  
  
2.) For those of you who don't know, Sailor Moon S and Super S are going   
to be dubbed! As a fan of the dub, I must say that this is the best news   
I've heard in weeks! And, I'd like to request no 'you're a dub fan?'   
flames, because your reply will read (and I quote):  
"So what, freak? I don't mind the dub. I like English. Subtitles hurt my   
head. I can't read them for long periods of time because my vision's   
going. So there."  
  
Have a nice night!  
  
--KB--  
  
  



	4. A Chance for...Something

A Chance For...Something...  
  
Author's Ramblings: Redemption. Renewal. A new self-image. Have you   
ever wanted a chance for those things? Or a chance to just be a little   
changed after a single episode effects your life? Well, welcome to an   
episode that will think on those questions. An episode with many   
funnier parts. And more serious parts. And some goofy stuff that only   
we could write!  
--Kate and Christina--  
There will be some ODD foreshadowing in the episode. Just a warning.  
Perfect pitch is a gift sought after by any and all musicians. It is   
the ability to sense, without knowing any better, if a note is sharp or  
flat--even by the smallest bit--and only one of every 200-odd people   
have it... Or some number pretty close to that.  
************  
When you last saw G.S.Stories...  
Alice spent the night at Richard and Lyra's, decided that she   
would never fall in love, turned down a prom date, and somehow managed   
to accidentally convince her mother that she was gay. They fought some   
lovely bad guys. Tara was teased and, at the episode's end, cut her   
hair. Mina decided to get little Cassiopeia to be a spy. And Ambriel   
wanted a book of prophecy.  
  
And that, my friends, is where the story begins...  
************  
  
"Oh my GOD!" screamed the blue-haired seventeen-year-old, dashing  
from her bedroom and into the living room while waving a sheet of paper  
above her head. "Look at this!" she yelled to the sleeping woman, who   
laid on the plush brown couch.  
Opening a single brown eye, Marie Urawa yawned and stretched.   
"Gee, thanks for letting me spend my Saturday in peace like I so   
requested," she mumbled with a sigh and a shake of her head. "After   
all, job hunting is most certainly NOT a tiring sport."  
Phoebe ignored her aunt's grumbles and dangled the sheet of paper  
in front of the woman. "You won't be saying that once you read this!"   
she contested stubbornly, one hand on her hip. "I, Phoebe Solaria   
Urawa, am going to be a movie star!"  
"WHAT?!" Marie sat straight up and snatched the sheet away from   
her niece. Her brown eyes grew wide as she skimmed it once. "'Phoebe   
Urawa is cordially invited to audition for a role in our new movie,   
Star Struck, a daringly different sci-fi film about love and redemption  
in outer space.'" She furrowed her brow and glanced up at the teen, her  
silver hair falling into her eyes. "Is this for real?"  
A smile crossed the charming features of the girl as she flipped   
a few of her six braids haughtily and stuck her nose into the air. "Not  
only is it real," she bragged, "but I'm going to try out. It's next   
week."  
"Is it worth it, though?" questioned her aunt, studying the black  
block letters upon the paper. "You'd have to film in America... And   
leave all your friends..." Her brown eyes shone as she glanced up at   
the teen. "Is it worth it, Phoebe?"  
Yanking the letter from Marie, the girl scowled and folded it in   
half. "I don't care!" she shot angrily, her eyes flaring suddenly. "I   
am going to be an actress!" She sighed upon seeing the surprised,   
slightly put-off expression on her aunt's face. "I know how awful it   
sounds," she admitted with a shrug of her shoulders. "And it's not like  
I want to ignore my friends...and my destiny..." Clenching one of her   
fists and sticking her nose into the air with a hint of indignant   
determination, she took a deep breath. "But this is my big break! And I  
can't let destiny, friendship, or evil lackeys get in my way!" She cast  
a gentle glance at her aunt. "Right?"  
The woman shrugged and, brushing her silver bangs from her eyes,   
laid back down on the couch. "Well, Pheebs, I can't make the decision   
for you," she remarked noncommittally. "But, if I were you, I'd sit   
down and think about what means the most to me." Her brown eyes gazed   
up at the girl, who was once again staring at the letter. "And, if you   
find that becoming a star and living out your dream is more important   
than the destiny that you were born to have, then I can't stop you from  
making that dream reality." She smiled gently and closed her eyes.   
"It's all inside of you, my dear, and you've just got to find it."  
"Well, I can think about it," uttered the teen, her voice weak   
and breathless. "And, maybe I'll figure it all out." She looked down at  
her aunt. "Thanks, Marie."  
"No prob," returned the woman.  
************  
  
The book was far too big to sit in her lap, so she had set it on   
the cool marble of the floor, the musty, dusty smell of it seeming to   
fill the room. And, as she had done for nearly two weeks, she sat   
cross-legged in front of the book, nearly doubled over herself, gray   
eyes staring through tiny silver-rimmed glasses and reading every word.  
A pink-nailed finger pointed at a paragraph. "See here, Carina?"   
she questioned with a cock of her head, glancing over at the little   
black kitten beside her. "It says: 'The ready warriors will be lead by   
the girl dressed in gold. And when the darkness nears, it will be the   
priestess who will save the world from destruction.'" She smiled and   
pushed the glasses farther up on her nose. "Do you understand that   
one?"  
The kitten made a face. "Ambriel, you've been trying to teach me   
this for weeks," she whined, blue eyes gazing at the words without   
comprehension. "I'm not Ara, you know."  
"But it's not that hard!" protested the child, crossing her arms   
in exasperation. "All it says is that the Chibi-Scouts will be lead by   
a 'girl in gold' and that the priestess, who is one of the Chibi-  
Scouts, will save the world." She tossed her braid over her shoulder   
and pulled from under the tome a sheet of white paper. "In my studies,   
I've found that the 'ready Guardians'--you guys, the third generation--  
protect the 'ready warriors'. That would be us Chibi-Scouts. And as for  
the priestess... Well, I don't know who she is. Yet." Her little hand   
found a pencil and scrawled down a few more notes. "But I've never seen  
this gold reference before."  
Footsteps echoed on the floor, and Ambriel shoved her notes atop  
the open page and slammed the book shut upon hearing them. Her gray   
eyes glanced up just in time to see her visitors.   
"We've been looking all over for you!" scolded Lisa, hands on her  
hips as her azure eyes glared down at the child. "We're nearly an hour   
late for lunch!"  
She glanced up at Helios, who nodded solemnly. "Serenity and   
Endymion both want to see you, young lady," he reported to her. "You've  
not shown up to lunch ever since you got that book." He gazed down at   
the great brown-covered volume, silver eyebrows knitting together.   
"What is that thing, anyway?"  
"Nothing!" insisted Carina suddenly, stepping forward. She   
wrinkled her little pink nose at the two newcomers. "Now, if you'll   
just wait outside, Master Helios, Lisa and I will dress Ambriel for   
lunch."  
He looked doubtfully at the cat and then the young woman beside   
him. "She looks fine," he contested stubbornly. Two blue eyes glared at  
him, and he shook his head. "If Reeny were here..."  
The little girl stood up and wagged a finger at him. "But she's   
not, young man," Ambriel shot back at him, tossing her head about. "You  
should learn that she does have to go to college and that there is   
nothing--absolutely nothing--that the three of us can do about it." She  
beamed, pleased with herself. "Right?"  
Groaning in both annoyance and defeat, Helios tramped out of the   
room, shaking his head.  
"You know better than to be messing around with the prophecy,"   
scolded Lisa once the door had closed. She pulled open one of the   
drawers to the child's enormous bureau. "Diana yelled at you days ago   
for it."  
Shoving the book underneath her canopy bed, Ambriel sighed and   
pulled off her glasses. "She didn't," challenged the girl stubbornly,   
placing her glasses on the nearest table. "She just said that I am not   
to CHANGE the prophecy. STUDYING never hurt anybody."  
"Still," argued the kitten as she watched Ambriel pull off her   
slightly dusty gown, "you shouldn't be doing this behind her back." She  
sniffed the discarded clothing and grimaced. "Besides, you're starting   
to smell like that book."  
Lisa supplied the child with a clean white skirt and a gray   
sweater. "And, if Reeny or Serenity or Endymion found out..." She   
shuddered and brushed a strand of blonde hair from her eyes. "Well, I   
don't want to think about that, Ambriel," she ventured in an   
apprehensive tone. "There's a good chance that we could all get in a   
lot of trouble."  
Ambriel smoothed her skirt and then sunk into a chair, sighing.   
"I shouldn't have started with this in the first place," she admitted   
softly, tucking her knees to her chin. "But, now that I'm involved, I   
can't very well escape all this. I've done it for a reason, and--though  
I don't know what it is--I've got to see it through." She glanced out   
the window and down at Crystal Gardens, smiling at the fountain of   
Serenity. "This concerns me more than anything."  
Carina joined her on the couch. "Then how come you can't find   
even one reference about yourself?" she questioned with a giggle.   
"That's got to mean SOMETHING."  
"Oh, I'm in there," responded the girl, her voice breathless as   
she patted her cat on the head. "I don't know where, yet, or how I got   
there, but I'm in that prophecy and nothing can be done about it."  
Considering this, the handmaiden wiped her hands on her thick   
wool skirt and glanced at the child. Her eyebrows rose on their own   
accord as she studied the red braid, smiling gray eyes, and flawless   
pale complexion. Could she be the priestess that the prophecy   
mentioned? The girl was, after all, to be some sort of priestess... She  
shook her head quickly. Surely, the first Angel Moon would have told   
her about THAT.  
"Come on, you two," Lisa suddenly ventured, breaking a soft,   
strange silence that had fallen over the room. "Let's go to lunch."  
************  
  
Lyra's eyebrows flew to the ceiling. "MA sent you?" she gaped,   
staring at the short blonde nine-year-old with wide, doubtful gold-  
brown eyes. "Why in the world would she do that?"  
Staring at the floor, Celeste shrugged and scuffed her feet   
together thoughtfully, her pink tongue darting nervously across her   
lips. She was silent for a long moment, as though no answer, however   
truthful, would be good enough.  
And then, she glanced up at her sister, unwanted tears boiling in  
her green eyes. "I don't KNOW," she choked, voice almost angry as she   
stared at her sister. "Ma just all of a sudden said that I should come   
over and I didn't know what to think of it!"  
With a slightly sad smile, Lyra sighed and led her sister to the   
couch. "I didn't mean it like that," she apologized quickly, biting her  
lower lip in thought. "It's just that... Ma is so very over-protective   
of this whole thing and..."  
"Do you love him more than you love us?"  
She furrowed her brow and looked at the silent girl. "Wha... What  
did you just say?" she stammered, shocked. "Did you just ask if I... If  
I love Rich... More than..."  
"If you love Richard more than you love our family." She spat the  
second syllable of the young man's name as though it were a horribly   
stern cuss word. "I just want to know if you do. I mean..." She sighed   
and glanced away, studying the few potted plants that sat on a low   
windowsill, basking in the afternoon sun. "Ma says that you left   
because he was more important," she clarified softly, studying the   
rather scantly decorated room, "and I was just curious if it was true."  
Lyra laced her fingers together, staring down at her hands. Maybe  
some of it was... She blinked, as though she was slowly coming to   
understand the truth. Could it be that she suddenly realized that   
Richard just meant more than her family? Was that what a destined love   
felt like?  
She let out a long sigh. "In a way," she admitted softly, "Rich   
is more important. He holds in his hands my life, my heart, and my   
destiny." She reached out and gently touched one of her sister's corn-  
yellow pigtails, nearly crying out when the girl tossed her head and   
scooted down on the couch, out of her reach. "But, beyond that, I think  
that the real truth is that I just figured out what I wanted."  
Tears streamed down Celeste's face as she heard these words, and   
she tossed her head indignantly, rising from the couch. Her hands were   
clenched into fists as her crying, angry eyes glared at her sister.   
"How could you say that, Lyra?" she sobbed, wiping one of her eyes with  
the butt of her left hand. "How could you even say that HE meant more   
than us?"  
"I never said that!" challenged Lyra loudly, standing and staring  
down the younger girl. "I said that I figured out what I wanted! And I   
wanted to live my whole life!" Her voice cracked, and her eyes watered   
up suddenly. "Do you know how damn hard it is to live in a house with   
ten people and still be able to breathe? Or DREAM?" She kicked the   
couch in frustration. "I can't stand being under Ma's watchful eyes   
twenty-four hours a day! To feel her breathing down my neck and to feel  
her eyes on me! And to know that she's looking at my life with more   
disdain than anyone could understand!" The tears fell freely down her   
cheeks, and her vision blurred. All she could make out was the form of   
a sweet, short girl. "I don't know why she's so protective, but I HATE   
it! I HATE IT!"  
Suddenly, arms wrapped around her waist and a head buried itself   
in her chest. She wiped her clouded vision free of tears and gazed down  
at a sobbing, shaking Celeste. Smiling slightly, she let the tears   
continue and smoothed the soft pigtails of her sister's hair. "It's   
alright, 'Leste..."  
The girl kept crying. "I'm awful, Lyra! I'm an awful person to...  
to treat you like I have and..." She pulled her face away from the   
teen's sweater and looked up at her. "I'm just...VERY...sorry." Her   
green eyes sparkled with tears as she stared up. "I never understood   
why you left," she admitted, voice still shaky, "and I guess that I   
just assumed..."  
"Everybody jumped to conclusions when I moved out," her elder   
sister informed her, smiling slightly. "The truth is that..." She   
shrugged and shook her head sadly. "I'm a grown up now, 'Leste. And   
grown ups..."  
There was the harsh peal of the telephone and Lyra pulled herself  
from her sister's grasp just long enough to lean over and pull the   
phone from the hook. "Hello? Hi, Mrs. Yuuichirou... She's WHAT? Run   
off? But that's not like Tara... Hasn't been acting herself? Hmm...   
Well, after the hair incident... I see. Yeah. I'd be glad too. Mmm-hmm.  
Bye." She hung it up, face a ghostly shade of white.  
"What was that?" questioned Celeste, cocking her head to one   
side.  
Waving a hand, the older girl rooted around in the end table's   
single drawer, pulling out a both a pencil and a scrap of paper   
frantically. "Tara's run off... Completely disappeared..." She sighed   
and started scrawling a note down on the piece of paper. When she was   
finished, she glanced over to see her younger sister, still frozen in   
place. She made a face. "Get your shoes on! We're both going!"  
The little blonde girl rushed to the front foyer and pulled her   
tennis shoes on frantically. "What's wrong with Tara?" She asked,   
cocking her head to one side and staring at her sister.   
Lyra sighed and groped for her boots. "It's a long story, but   
she's gone and cut her hair."  
************  
  
"But this is boring, Aeris!" whined Peter, sitting cross-legged   
upon the thick cloud-floor that spread out before them. That was really  
all there was as far as the eye could see: clouds. Occasionally, a   
white pillar dotted the bleak horizon, and even in the thick mist, the   
outline of a large marble door, white as the fresh-fallen snow in   
Tokyo, could be seen.   
Yet Peter Chiba sat upon the ground, his chin resting in his   
hands as he stared at his discarded Time Key. His red eyes were dull   
with the pain and loneliness of sheer boredom, and his tuxedo and cape   
were dusty from that day's training. His mother and father had long   
since returned to the home which the Outer Mistresses all shared, but   
his sister had insisted that they remain at the Gate. The boring,   
lousy, cold, old Gate of Time.  
The girl in the Sailor fuku rolled her eyes and thumped her Time   
Key on the ground. "It is completely imperative that we, as the future   
Guardians and rulers of this very place, earn a certain familiarity   
with the Gate of Time." She took in a deep breath through her nostrils,  
her colorful eyes half-closed. "Are you able to feel the slow shifts   
which are occurring in the Time-Space Continuum?" she asked of him   
softly, unmoving. "In the past, that very past which the Planet   
Mistresses have shared, there is about to be a massive undertaking of   
epic proportions." She glanced at her sibling, her face an unbreakable   
mask of stone. "And they are going to need the aid of our mother in   
order to succeed."  
He furrowed his brow. "They're going to take Mom away from us?" he  
questioned, staring at her with little comprehension in his eyes. "How   
could they take her from us?"  
Aeris giggled, very out of character for her. Peter stared at the   
laughing girl, cocking his head to one side and raising a single brown   
eyebrow. She was Chibi-Pluto. She didn't laugh...  
And then, he saw it. The single glistening of one tear as it   
rolled down her pale cheek and fell slowly to the ground.  
"Aeris?"  
"I do not know!" she suddenly cried out, her soprano lilt lifting   
to the air and carrying across the empty space in odd, eerie echoes. Her  
knees buckled, and she landed on the ground, little bits of cloud and   
dust swirling around her suddenly. "I do not know what is going to   
happen, Peter! That is what so worries me!"  
Clambering to his feet, the boy crossed the thirty-odd feet to his  
twin sister and knelt beside her. What was going on? Was this some kind   
of unexpected foreshadowing of what was yet to come? She was Sailor   
Chibi-Pluto--the strong one, the smart one, the one who was far tougher   
than he. And yet, she was the one upon her knees, sobbing endless tears   
and mumbling words that could not be clearly heard nor understood.  
He wrapped a cautious arm around his sister. "It'll be alright,   
Aeris," he whispered, pulling her into his embrace and holding her   
there, just hoping that, at least for this one moment in time, she   
could forget about being Pluto and just be a normal girl. "Mom can't go   
too far from us. She has to train us..."  
"And the past?" she glanced at him, colorful eyes both angry and   
frightened at the exact same time. Peter smiled slightly, and a part of   
her smiled to, whether she knew it or not.  
With a shrug, the Master of Time in Training patted his sister's   
head. "Who needs the past? This, sis, is the present."  
************  
  
"Tara's missing?" asked Alice doubtfully, furrowing her brow as   
she stared out through the kitchen window and at the city of Tokyo.   
"Well, no, Lyra, I can't say that I've seen her." She sighed and wrapped  
the phone cord around her fingers slowly, nodding as she listened to her  
friend's anxious pleas for help. "I wish I could come with you, but..."   
She glanced at the visitor who sat at the kitchen table. Fierce, upset   
green eyes stared back. Alice gulped and sighed. "I'll keep my eyes open  
for her, Lyra. Bye..."  
As the elder girl hung up the phone, the visitor exhaled deeply   
and continued to gaze at her friend. "I know that you don't like to lie   
to the others," she admitted with a shrug of her shoulders. "But I   
couldn't very well turn to Lyra this time. She has, after all, a   
destined love and a life, two things I think I'm lacking."  
Alice's brown eyes sized up her companion. The girl was tall,   
perhaps five-foot-seven or eight, and she had the most intimidating   
green eyes--they sparkled with the air of mystery and truth at the very   
same time. Her blackish-purple locks had once flowed down to her knees   
but now hung roughly at the level of her ears, longer in some places   
than in others. She wore a large white T-shirt and a pair of wide-  
legged, too-big jeans that looked nearly ready to fall off. She   
looked... She didn't look like herself.  
"Do you think they won't understand?" Alice cautiously asked,   
sitting across the table from her friend. "They've all been through it,   
you know. People have made their lives living hells before, and I don't   
think it fair..."  
"Hey, if you don't want to be saddled with the responsibility of   
being stuck the likes of me," shot back the other, "that's no skin off   
my nose." She rose quickly to her feet and started toward the front   
door. "In fact, I should be going home to his and her excellency."  
Jumping to her feet, the auburn-haired girl followed her friend to  
the door. "You can't act like this!" she protested sternly. "They're   
going to get worried!"  
"Let 'em worry," snorted the tall one, pulling on her shoes. "I've  
never been the least concerned about the lot of them!"  
"That's not true!" persisted Alice loudly, clenching her fists.   
The green eyes scrutinized her face for a moment, and she felt a strange  
mix of anger and downright fondness boil in the pit of her stomach.   
She'd HATED this girl! And now, here she was, lying for her... Defending  
her... Trying as hard as she could to be on this AWFUL girl's side...   
"That's just not true, and you know it!" she contested angrily, her gaze  
lowering to a glare. "I didn't like you at first, but you have got to   
believe me when I say that we all do care about you!"  
Her face slightly sad, the other girl blinked and glanced at the   
floor, features turning soft. She laid a hand upon her own cheek for a   
long moment, and she bit her lower lip. The green gaze welled up with   
tears. "But can five people really be all I have in the world?" she   
asked softly, glancing up at the other teen. Alice remained quiet.   
"Thought so."  
And the door clicked shut.  
Staring after her friend, the older of the two teens wiped tears   
from her brown eyes and gulped back the ones that had not yet come.   
"Tara..." she whispered after her friend, hardly loud enough for her own  
ears to hear her silent plea. "Tara, what is wrong with you?"  
************  
  
"So, one of the Silly Scouts is having an identity crisis!" He   
glanced up from the fish bowl, his lips curved into a sardonic smile.   
"I could use that..."   
Laughter rang out from behind him and he turned on his heal to   
see Tina, her black hair rimming her laughing face. "Trying to see the   
future in the fish bowl?" she asked rhetorically, her white teeth   
gleaming in a perfectly evil grin. "What happened, did you give up on   
the toilet bowl?"  
Arthur wrinkled his nose and turned away, sprinkling a few   
multicolored flakes into the top of the bowl absently. "For your   
information," he shot back, head high and voice confident, "I was   
getting ready to stage an attack on the littlest Sailor Scout."  
"Who?" inquired Tina, cocking her head to one side and strolling   
to stand behind the young man. "That weird angel-kid or the girl with   
the purple stick?"  
Wrinkling his nose once again, he shook his head. "No, no, the one  
with the black hair..." Tina just stared at him, brown eyes wide. "The   
one with the wave attack..."   
"You mean Sailor Earth?" He nodded excitedly. She chortled   
slightly at his enthusiasm. "Well, duh, she's not the littlest!"  
He rolled his eyes. "Well, whatever." Picking up the bowl, he   
stared at the large, healthy goldfish that swam in idle circles. "I   
think that she's weak."  
His counterpart shrugged and plopped down in a chair. "You'd hope   
so, wouldn't you?" Arthur glanced at her nervously, face blank. Tina   
smiled coyly. "Well, I heard the Queen talking and I don't think that   
she's all-too-impressed with your performance of late." She smirked   
knowingly. "I mean, zip-of-two? Come on, Arty, even Kevin could have   
done better!"  
"I injured one!" he defended quickly, brown eyes wide with fear.   
"She busted up her knee and was limping and..."  
"I'm sure we'd all be real impressed," continued Tina in a kind   
tone, her face apologetic, "if this wasn't such a desperate search. But   
let's not kid ourselves, here. This is a real big deal to the Queen, and  
I can't let her down." She stood and sighed, shaking her head solemnly.   
"I am to tell you," she informed him dryly, "that any further mistakes   
means your head on a pike."  
"But..."  
Tina put a finger to his lip, silencing him. "So, have fun in   
Hell. And we'll send you a postcard when we actually care."  
She disappeared in a flash of blue light.  
Arthur kicked at the air angrily. "Damn it!" he swore in   
frustration. "Just... DAMN IT!"   
Then, another smile crossed his lips, more evil than the first.   
"But, if I CAN beat the Sailor Scouts and if I DO find the crystal, then  
Ginnie can't kick me out." He beamed. "Well then. How hard could that   
be?"  
And his triumphant, if cocky, laughter echoed throughout the dark   
palace.  
************  
  
"Ambriel? Are you feeling alright?"  
The little red-haired girl straightened suddenly, having not   
noticed that she'd been slouching so. Her gray eyes, slightly lifeless,   
glanced at the beautiful goddess of Crystal Tokyo. She nearly dropped   
her fork--that woman's eyes could bring any and all emotions known to   
humankind bubbling to the surface in a single azure flash. It was, to   
the child, amazing.  
She nodded solemnly at the Queen, still slowly pushing the pasta   
around her plate slowly, face a bit too pale. "Yes, Ma'am," she told the  
woman in a reverent tone. "I was just a bit caught up in my thoughts."  
Chortling slightly, Serenity pushed a strand of silken hair from   
her face and stared across the table. The girl stared back, almost   
challengingly. "Now, Ambriel, as a princess here..."  
"I'm no princess," she responded dryly. "I am just the daughter of  
an angel."  
Confusion knit Helios' brow as he turned his azure gaze toward the  
child beside him. She did not notice his glance as she continued to   
look at the Queen.  
A small smile lit Serenity's face. She set her spoon down upon the  
massive oak table of the royal dining room and folded her hands gingerly  
in her lap. "And what makes you think that being an angel is nothing   
impressive?"  
A glint of mischief sparkled in Ambriel's eyes. "Well, I was   
curious about something, to be honest," she admitted with a somber   
smile. "Maybe you could enlighten me."  
From under the table, there was a sound that seemed like a cross   
between a mew and a groan. "Ambriel..."  
At the windowsill, a pink cat that had been sleeping glanced up.   
"Where am I in all the prophecy, Serenity?"  
The King of the Earth, who was seated, silently, beside his Queen,  
coughed suddenly on his soup. Helios' knife and fork fell onto the white  
china plates with a clatter. Lisa dropped a tray of drinks she'd been   
carrying. Diana's red eyes grew large. Carina mumbled something about   
stupidity from her spot at the girl's feet.  
But the goddess of Crystal Tokyo remained calm and cool, her hands  
still folded and face still the paragon of tranquility. Her smile had   
quickly faded into a tiny frown, but her other features remained   
completely unchanged. "You should not meddle in prophecy," she informed   
the child, her voice level and cool. "I would have thought that your   
guardian knew better."  
There was a slight pause before chair legs scrapped at the cream-  
colored tile floor. The redheaded girl stood and glared daggers at the   
Queen. "You leave Carina out of this! This is about me!" She made a face  
and glanced around the room. At Helios. At Lisa. At Endymion. At Diana.   
And at the little black kitten at her feet. "What am I to amount to   
when the 'Master of Time' and the 'Guardian of Time' and the 'girl in   
gold'..."  
"That's enough, Ambriel," interrupted the Queen, rising to her   
feet. "I believe we should talk."   
Both Helios and Endymion made motions to get up, but the blonde   
woman held up a halting hand. "You two enjoy your meal," she commanded   
stubbornly. "This girl and I, and her guardian and Diana must meet   
alone." She glanced at Ambriel. "You can come. Or not come."  
She held her head high and smiled slightly. "I will come," she   
told the Queen of the Earth in a strong voice. "I owe that much to you."  
Serenity smiled. "Why yes," she returned. "You do."  
************  
  
"Do you know what day it is?" questioned a soft voice from a stool  
at the large kitchen's island.   
Glancing up from the refrigerator, Alexandra sighed and rolled her  
gray-green eyes. "Don't even try to tell me that it's our anniversary,   
Michi," she shot in an annoyed tone, "because I know that it's on   
Christmas and, right now, it's the end of February."  
The musician took a long bite out of her apple and chewed on it   
thoughtfully, her eyes focusing on her wife. "Well, it sort of is," she   
told the woman solemnly. "Just not the one that you're thinking of..."  
Alex counted on her fingers for a brief moment, eyes going wide.   
"That was today?"  
"The first day," responded Michelle. "When Neptune saved you and   
found her Uranus."  
Silence overtook the room, but it was the sweet, companionable   
type of silence that did more to relax the duo than to make them uneasy.  
The tall blonde continued to root around in the fridge, and the smaller   
woman continued to munch on the apple.  
Footsteps echoed, coming down the back set of steps and into the   
kitchen. Susan sighed and shook her head. "Those children have too much   
Chiba blood in them," she commented ruefully, shaking her head of green-  
black hair. "They stay at the Gate for three hours, only two of which   
are training, and they fall asleep the instant their heads hit the   
pillows."  
Terrence crossed his arms over his sweatshirt and tossed his head.  
"Well, I think they have too much..." She raised at eyebrow and glanced   
at the couple in the kitchen. "Did we walk into a funeral?"  
Shrugging, Alexandra pulled a container of antipasto salad out of   
the fridge and set it down on the countertop. "Today's just a big day in  
Senshi-land, Terry," she informed him bluntly, finding a fork in the   
nearest drawer.  
"Already?" questioned Susan, paling as she glanced at the calendar  
that hung on the wall. Her red eyes went wide. "Wow. To think that the   
original Sailor Scouts will start their battle against Tomoe soon..."  
"Poor me," put in Hannah, entering the room with a half-asleep   
Delaney in her arms. "I don't remember much about Neptune and Uranus..."  
She glanced at her parents, purple eyes rather teary, and sighed. "Poor   
me," she repeated soberly. "Poor, poor, me..."  
The man in the room wrinkled his nose and glanced nervously at the  
women. "Well, I would like to know what's going on!" he announced   
stubbornly. "Stop talking in Mistress code and tell the husband of   
Pluto!" He jumped up and down. "Tell me! Tell me! Tell..."  
"And I wonder where Peter gets it," muttered Alex, mouth full of   
pasta.  
Her daughter shook her head. "Thank GOD that Aeris takes after her  
mother."  
Grabbing hold of her husband's hand, the Guardian of Time glowered  
at the excited man, eyes intense. "In a few weeks, the original Sailor   
Scouts will begin their fight against the Soldier of Destruction." She   
sent a sorrowful glance at her niece. "The Inners will lack the   
understanding of what is really going on. The Outers will be very..."   
She gulped. "Heartless."  
Stealing a noodle from the blonde's lunch, Terry nudged his   
glasses on his face and shrugged. "Business as usual for the Outers,   
then?" He glanced at his wife. Her face was still pale, and her body,   
rigid. A sad, upset dull sat in her usually lively red eyes, and all   
the mystery that was so alluring about her gave way to fear. He glanced   
at the others, who were all avoiding eye contact with the Guardian of   
Time. "WHAT?" he inquired, choking on the noodle. "Did I say something   
wrong?"  
"No," Michelle told him softly. "We're all just too caught up in   
our memories."  
Hannah nodded and rocked her baby back and forth. "They're   
strong."  
"Scary." Alex sighed and stirred her lunch.  
Susan held her head high and took a deep breath. "Haunting..."  
Terrence just raised an eyebrow and, wisely, let the subject drop.  
************  
  
"Ambriel, do you know what you are?"  
She paused and shrugged her shoulders, not daring to look up at   
the beautiful woman. "I am an angel."  
"No, you're not. You are Angel Moon."  
The little girl cocked her head and glanced up at the Queen of the  
Earth. Serenity's blue eyes were gentle as she stared out at the large,   
bustling city from the top tower of the great Palace. A slightly sad,   
though gentle, smile touched her face as she rested her hands on the   
ledge before her and looked down at her people, who were rushing like   
ants below her.   
Ambriel brushed a strand of hair from her eyes. "Excuse me,   
Ma'am?"  
The great Queen turned and crouched down to the five-year-old's   
level. "You want to know where you are in the prophecy?" she asked. The   
girl nodded vigorously, and the woman sighed and straightened back up.   
"Well, I cannot tell you that," she revealed in a quiet, apologetic   
tone. "If you would like to study the prophecy, then you must know that   
Angel Moon does not appear in it."  
Diana's ears perked up as she gaped at her Queen. "Your Highness!"  
she mewed quickly, with a wrinkle of her nose and an arrogant toss of   
her head. "You cannot ENCOURAGE her to meddle in prophecy!"  
Serenity sent the cat a glance that clearly said: 'I can encourage  
whomever I please.' She smiled down at Ambriel and reached down a hand.   
The girl flinched, but was only greeted by a soft hand stroking her   
hair. She stared up, gray eyes large, not quite knowing what to expect   
next.  
"You like the prophecy, Ambriel?"  
The girl nodded quickly. "Very much, Ma'am. It's interesting...   
And I am lonely..."  
From her spot beside her aunt, Carina beamed. "She knows a lot   
about it, too!" she chimed in cheerily. "She's been trying to teach me   
for weeks, and I don't get it! But she does!"  
"This has been going on for WEEKS?!" exclaimed Diana, shooting a   
red glare of annoyance at the younger cat. "Are you two both crazy?"  
Pressing her pale lips together, the Queen once again too a long,  
thoughtful look at her city. Her people. "I want you to keep studying   
the prophecy, little one," she breathed, her voice catching in the wind   
and carrying through the air. "If you can make some sense of it, you   
have quite the gift. And if you have such a gift, I must support it."   
She smiled slightly and turned her cerulean eyes toward the child. "But,  
you have to study under the guidance of Diana. She is, after all, the   
only person in this very Palace who..."  
The pink cat mewed loudly and jumped up onto the wide ledge of the  
window. "That's ludicrous, Your Highness!" she protested, her red eyes   
looking over the tiny girl in disdain. "I am not training a five-year-  
old girl in an ART that not even the most proficient scholars   
understand! No! No way!" She tossed her head and stared up at the   
vaulted ceiling of the small room, shivering as a breath of wind flew in  
through one of the open windows.   
"Diana..." warned the Queen, her hands on her hips. "I don't need   
you being so contemptuous."  
"Contemptuous? Who's being contemptuous?" quipped the cat, tone   
still haughty. "I'm not WRONG to be angry! She's five years old!"  
Carina rolled her blue eyes and looked up at the two humans and   
the pink guardian. "I could guide her," she suggested in a cute voice.   
Three pairs of eyes stared down at her, and she stepped backward   
slightly. "If you wanted, of course, Miss Serenity, because even though   
I'm her guardian, I am a kitten. And kittens," she babbled, face a bit   
flushed, "aren't very good at prophecy. In fact, I don't understand it   
at all and I don't know..."  
"That's a very good idea," the Queen interjected, taking her stare  
from the little cat and glancing at the pink one who sat in front of   
her. "I like it very much."  
Beaming, the kitten straightened her back. "Really?"  
"Really," the Queen remarked. "And, while we're on the subject,   
Diana, I have a new order for you."  
With a haughty smile, the older of the two guardians stood and   
bowed her head. "Yes, Highness?"  
Serenity adjusted her tiara with an idle hand. "You, Diana," she   
declared, "are going to be Carina's teacher."  
The pink cat's red eyes went wide and she stared at the woman-  
goddess. And her single word echoed through the tower and across the   
Crystal Palace.   
"WHAT?!"  
************  
  
She walked alone. The afternoon sun, through thick and unyielding   
clouds, lit the world with an eerie glow. Not many people were out in   
the downtown area, she noted as she passed a young couple with a child.   
It was too cold out for most, even if it was the end of February. And   
she didn't like such weather. The clouds seemed to hang low, close to   
the Earth. HER Earth. She shivered and pulled her thick, green coat   
closer to her body.  
They were out looking for her. Why? She didn't quite know. Since   
when had they cared? Sure, Alice had lied for her, but that was Alice.   
Alice was like that. As for the rest of them...  
At least the kids at school didn't call her a temple shrew   
anymore. True, her haircut wasn't the determining factor in their   
sudden, if sweet, acceptance of her--it was simply a fair-weather thing   
come from her not being seen at the temple for a few days. That had, of   
course, been the plan; she holed herself up inside the house and didn't   
talk to anyone, not even the other Scouts. But maybe...  
"Mother is not MAD at me," Tara told herself sternly, pressing her  
lips together. "She is just...not...pleased."   
The winter wind swirled around her as she stopped for the bright   
'don't walk' sign. There was no sign of life on the street; it was as   
though the whole world had closed down that Saturday afternoon but no   
one bothered to inform her of it. She thrust her hands in her pockets.   
One knuckle hit against the Locket of the Earth, and she gripped it, a   
sort of security washing over her being. At least she was safe.  
There was a flash of green light and she found herself face-to-  
face with a pair of evil looking brown eyes. Tara gasped and took a long  
step back, her iron fist around the disc tightening as the man placed   
his hands on his hips and smiled gently at the teen. "Well, well, well,"  
he chortled, batting his eyelashes behind thick glasses. "What do we   
have here?"  
She gulped. "Nothing, sir," she quickly responded, nodding her   
head as though she was talking to a much elder patrons of her parents   
temple... Damn! Why did the temple always pop into her mind at the   
oddest moments? She blinked and cleared her head of the ensuing cobwebs.  
"I'm just a lonely girl on my way home..."  
"Oh, really?" he mocked, folding his hands and resting them on his  
stomach. "Or are you Sailor Earth?"  
Bristling, she did not respond.  
Arthur laughed and tossed his head. "You see, I'm not dumb," he   
told her, pacing up and down the small stretch of sidewalk before her.   
"I can recognize you Scouts. It's not hard." He cocked his head and her   
and winked. "Especially with those enchanting green eyes, Miss Earth."  
Tara took another long step back. If she planned it right...  
"So, what do you say?" he asked sweetly. "Turn in your friends,   
maybe fight on the side of evil, and reap the benefits when Ginnie takes  
over the universe?" He winked scandalously at her. "It's really a lot   
of fun, you know. Being evil."  
One more step... Her left foot moved slowly backward...  
"And, maybe, one of us boys will take you under our wing. There's   
a lot you could learn from us."  
She felt pavement and glanced up. The building beside her was   
short... Short enough.  
Her knees bent and she launched herself into the air, eyeing the   
rooftop. A smile crossed her face as the man wrinkled his nose and began  
to float into the air, rising slowly. "You can run, Earthy, but you   
can't hide."  
Pulling the locket from its confinement in her jeans, she   
shrugged. "I just needed to buy a little time," she told him cockily.  
"Oh?"  
The gold glimmered in the pale light. "Earth Galactic Power...   
Make UP!"  
************  
  
She sat straight up in her bed, pushing the thick quilt off her   
tiny body and glancing nervously around the room. Her lights were off,   
the shades were drawn, and everything was as it should be.  
But why, then, was her heart racing? And why was her delicate brow  
dripping sweat?  
Springing from the bed, she pushed her feet into her thick, black   
slippers and grabbed the tiny metal wand that laid on the nearby desk.   
It looked absolutely innocent and sweet, but it pulsated with a   
frightening warmth. She very nearly dropped it on the floor.   
Quietly, she slipped out of the room and started down the hall.   
She could hear voices--no doubt that of the adults--in the kitchen, and   
there was a shower running on the next floor. She shivered, her wool   
sweater no longer as warm as it was meant to be. When had she fallen   
asleep? It couldn't have been more than an hour ago.  
She strode past the bathroom and her parent's room, walking toward  
the last door in the hallway. She rapped twice on the wood, the dull   
hollow sound echoing through her ears even after the door swung open.   
"Danger?" she questioned, her eyes wide and alert.  
The brunette boy pulled the door shut behind him and stood beside   
her in the hallway. They stared at one another for a long moment,   
neither moving, and then he nodded. "Did you feel it?"  
Aeris nodded solemnly and held her transformation stick to him.   
"My wand is unbearably warm," she told him, tongue darting to lick her   
lips. "And it has a pulse of some sort. It beats in synchronization   
with..." She swallowed and stared at Peter, her muscles tensing. "It   
fits the pounding of my heart."  
With a slight shudder, he sent a meaningful glance her way.   
"Haley's in the shower upstairs," he informed his sister blandly. "I   
don't know if she knows..."  
"She is the Sailor Scout of the Comets," retorted the small girl,   
pushing a strand of green-black hair from her face. "If she is yet   
oblivious to the peril that one of the others is in, she is not meant to  
have such knowledge." Her brother's eyes sparked with confusion, and she  
sighed. "If she doesn't know, too bad."  
Peter grinned. "Okay then!" he cheered, running toward the   
staircase. "Let's go!"  
Rolling her eyes, Aeris followed.  
************  
  
If she could just run... If she could just run faster than he   
could... If only her legs would stop turning to jelly with each step and  
actually show some gumption. If only...  
A bolt of green energy crackled in the air, warming the left side   
of her face with its fierce power. She felt her pounding heart pick up   
the pace. She felt her mental wall waver.  
So there she was, Sailor Earth, tearing through downtown with that  
evil brunette man only steps behind her. And he was throwing bolts of   
energy.  
Leaping atop a phone booth and then onto the nearest building, she  
gasped for breath and suddenly wanted to smack herself upside the head.  
What was she doing? She was the Sailor Scout of the Earth. Sure,   
maybe there wasn't a whole lot of firepower involved by throwing   
thunderstorms and waves around, but she was a defender of justice. She   
couldn't run. She HAD to fight. It was within her soul.  
"Giving up so easily?" questioned Arthur, black boots clicking on   
the rooftop as he gracefully landed a short ten feet from her. "I would   
have thought a Sailor Scout would have more...guts...than that."  
Earth tried to flip a strand of hair behind her back, but caught   
only air. Shaking her head, she took a deep breath and glared at him,   
green eyes flashing with hate. "I'm not giving up," she spat at him   
stubbornly. "I'm just not running anymore."  
He laughed. "You're that stupid, eh?" Shrugging his shoulders, he   
stretched out his long arms and focused his brown eyes upon her. From   
between his palms, there was a glimmer of green, which she instinctively  
knew to be the beginnings of a bolt of energy. She pressed her pink lips  
together. If she timed it just right...  
"ARG!" Arthur's battle cry rang through the air as the beam of   
green shot toward her.  
Earth held out a hand. "TSUNAMI!"  
The water and energy met and mingled, each holding the other at   
bay. The heat from the evaporating wave of liquid was excruciatingly   
painful, but she held her ground. Occasionally, the man would groan, but  
he was trapped in the same ludicrous battle of wills she was.  
An echo of footfalls sounded, and Sailor Earth knew that it was   
the other Sailors. "Don't just stand there!" she roared, unable to break  
her gaze from Arthur's. "Kill him!"  
The four Scouts that had arrived all glanced at one another   
nervously. Sailor Moon glanced down at her saber. Angel Moon stared,   
awestruck, at the goings on. Polaris and Chibi-Star just pulled their   
eyes from their friend, afraid to act.  
"But, Earth," protested Moon with a sad gleam in her red eyes.   
"We could hurt you..."  
Her shaky, breathless voice hardly carrying over the melee as she   
fought, Sailor Earth turned her head slightly toward that of her   
friends. "Listen, no matter what life's like, we're the Sailor Scouts!   
We can't give in to defeat, no matter what's going on. We've been shaky   
as jellyfish and we just CAN'T be like that!" She grunted and more water  
poured from her hands. "Those monsters," she went on, "should have been   
easy for us. But we're so out of practice that we forget about the guts   
and spunk we're supposed to have as Scouts."  
Arthur's energy stream suddenly stopped and he doubled over. The   
wave of water soared over his head and just barely missed him, splashing  
on the deserted sidewalk below. He glared up at them, brown eyes wide as  
he panted for breath. "You may think that you're tough, Sailor Brats,   
but there's more to me than meets the eye."  
He disappeared in a flash of green light.  
"Yeah," snorted Chibi-Star, hands on her hips. "And he goes and   
calls US wimps!"  
Sailors Chibi-Pluto, Phoenix, and Aurora Borealis came running   
across the roof, followed closely by the Master of Time and Comet. "What  
went on here?" inquired Comet, making a face. "Did we miss all the   
action?"  
"Well, if you hadn't been in the shower..." began Peter, but he   
was silenced by a stern glare from his twin sister.  
Removing her tiara and wiping the thick layer of sweat from her   
brow, Sailor Earth smiled weakly at the fierce-hearted brunette. "Yes,   
but I have something to say."  
"She thinks that we've lost our gumption to fight, Scouts,"   
laughed Sailor Moon, a smile crossing her pale face. "Isn't that the   
funniest thing you guys have ever heard?" She glanced out at the group   
of stern-faced soldiers and grimaced. "Guys?" They all avoided her eye   
contact. "Will somebody PLEASE back me up?"  
Polaris wrapped a strand of curly blonde hair around her index   
finger. "We have been a bit...weak...of late..." She glanced at her   
bandaged knee and sighed. Wordlessly, she reached down and pulled the   
white cloth off, revealing thirteen half-healed stitches. "What's a   
couple of stitches when you're a Sailor Scout?"  
"And maybe we just were giving up too easily to the sushi   
monsters," put in Aurora Borealis, turning her eyes to focus on the   
horizon. "I mean, if I'd thought of just using my shining attack instead  
of worrying about not being killed, then maybe..."  
Moon stuck out her lower lip and turned away. "Whose side are you   
guys ON?" she questioned, moping.   
Sailor Earth beamed. "See? I told you! But we've got a chance to   
beat Arthur at his own game!"  
"Yeah!" agreed Chibi-Pluto, a large smile gracing her face. "If   
he's been tricked into believing we're all weak, and then we strike as   
one, we can't possibly lose!" Everyone glanced at her in shock. "What?"  
Angel Moon beamed. "A second chance!"  
Phoenix's face fell for a moment as she stared at her group of   
friends, but she shook off the feeling of despair she felt to smile   
weakly. "And a chance for...something..."  
************  
  
"Miss Mokoti?"  
Lyra glanced up from her book to meet a fierce blue-eyed gaze.   
Smiling, she nodded her head slightly. "Yes, Mrs. Neckowa?" she asked   
of her plump, cheery literature teacher. "May I help you?"   
The woman's usually bright face was darkened by a deep frown. In   
her hands she held a thick packet of papers, which the young woman   
immediately recognized as her one-hundred-point literary essay. Seeing   
her always happy teacher frown made her frown, too.   
Mrs. Neckowa handed her student the papers. "I asked for a four-  
thousand-word paper on your favorite literary work, Lyra," she told the   
teen sternly, her azure orbs lowered in a cross between a glare and a   
saddened, disappointed glance. "I failed to see how 'Code Name: Sailor   
V--The Complete Manga Collection' had a real life application." She   
cleared her throat and placed her hands on her nearly unnoticeable hips.  
"'The trials and errors of one teenage superheroine can teach the future  
generations of the Earth to live a little, for the world cannot be   
lived by closing your eyes and giving up,'" quoted the woman expertly.   
"I did not approve, and I marked you down accordingly."  
As her teacher strode away to suck the spirit from her next   
victim, the curly-haired blonde took a deep breath and touched the edge   
of the essay's cover. Lyra's mind was racing and she could feel her   
heart leap into her throat. It was now or never. Her entire body froze,   
muscles tight with worry.  
And she turned the page.  
Merry little red marks, all circles and cross outs and question   
marks danced across the vast white. She flipped to the next page, eyes   
widening as she saw the exact same things. And on the next... And the   
next...  
Seven pages, completely covered with red. Brown eyes brimmed with   
tears of despair. Hopelessness. Hurt. She'd poured her soul into the   
essay. It was, after all, her favorite type--the kind where a girl could  
put her innermost thoughts to work and make them live a new life. A life  
of immortality. In words. Sure, maybe she wasn't the world's greatest   
writer, but this was a literary essay. A essay in one of her favorite   
classes ever. And that was everything to her.  
And the one last comment on the last page burned her eyes.   
'Superheroes, Lyra, are not real.' How was Mrs. Neckowa to know that?   
And who was to say what was real and what was fiction? She was, after   
all, leading a life that would best be thought of as fiction. And she   
was real.  
Then, her brown eyes let go their aching prisoners. Her vision   
blurred, but a single letter burned in her mind.  
'F.'  
************  
  
She sat in the hallway, her legs tucked up under her chin,   
watching the clouds move across the darkening skyline. Beside her,   
chomping merrily on her turkey sandwich and sipping green Kool-Aid from   
a water bottle was Alice, just staring at her friend and not really   
knowing what to say.  
Tara had come, and Tara had gone in the first five minutes of   
lunch, announcing that the popular girls had invited her to eat with   
them and that she 'wasn't one to disappoint.' This left the duo in   
complete silence.  
"You know," commented Lyra finally, stretching her short legs and   
opening her lunchbox, "maybe this is a sign that I should re-think my   
whole life." She sighed and blinked back tears. "All my life, I've   
turned to books. I've been such a nerd..."   
The auburn-haired one furrowed her brow. "What do you mean by   
that?" she asked softly. "You're not a nerd..."  
Lyra shook her head. "My dream was to teach literature and to   
travel the world. And, with Richard being just as big of a bookworm..."   
She popped a potato chip in her mouth. "Maybe I've been looking at life   
from the wrong direction."  
"Maybe," agreed Alice thoughtfully. "I mean, look at me! I've   
wanted to be a veterinarian since the first time my mother said I   
couldn't get a kitten, and today I dropped Ecology." Her blonde friend   
gaped at her, raising an eyebrow. The taller girl put down her sandwich   
and pulled a large brown tome that looked rather uninviting from her   
book bag. "I decided that, maybe, I should branch out," she explained,   
opening the book gingerly. "After all, a class on homosexuality has to   
be about TWENTY times more interesting than Ecology, and..." She glanced  
at her friend with concern. "What?"  
Brown eyes were wide and doubtful as the shorted girl stared,   
aghast at her friend. "Are you... Do you prefer..."  
"No!" laughed the seventeen-year-old, waving a single hand. "Oh,   
Heavens no! Did you actually think that..." She glanced at her companion  
and let the smile quickly melt from her face. "Wow. Do I come across as   
gay?"  
Just then, black-haired Tara Yuuichirou came running up to them,   
her short-cropped locks flying freely behind her as she did so. "Are we   
doing anything tonight?" she asked of her two friends.  
The blonde shook her head slightly. "I don't think..."  
"Good!" smiled the younger girl. "I'm going out tonight with a   
group of girls." She winked a green eye. "Don't wait up!"  
As Tara ran off, Alice stretched out her long legs and sighed.   
"It's amazing how much I do for such an ungrateful wretch..."  
Lyra furrowed her brow. "Huh?"  
Shaking her head, the other girl let another long sigh escape her   
slightly parted lips. "Nothing."  
************  
  
"Ooh! Look at this reference!" cooed the little girl, pushing her   
little reading glasses closer to her gray eyes. She picked up her   
notebook and began scrawling down tiny letters in her loose, messy   
script. "Come here!"  
Diana opened a single eye and glanced down at the girl, perfectly   
comfortable in her perch upon the windowsill. "What now?" she grumbled,   
her eyebrows lowering as she glared at the girl. "For the past hour,   
you've been 'ooh'-ing and 'ahhh'-ing over every three passages, and   
they've been trivial at best."  
Nodding in agreement, the little black kitten in the cat bed   
across the room yawned and rolled over. "It's probably nothing to us,"  
she put in.  
Ambriel tossed her head and cleared her throat, eyes gazing down   
at the pages before her. "'Before the Chibi-Scouts learn to cope,'" she   
read, soprano lilt carrying through the chamber, "'there will be a great  
day for the Master of Time. The Keeper, her gold flaring, shall save the  
world from one evil, but her Master will her from another save. For they  
are the destined ones, true rulers of the world.'" She paused for a   
moment, glancing at her notes briefly before continuing. "'With the   
Priestess, the Princess, and the Prince, the two shall rule the world.   
And the Master will have his Guardian, a solitary soul who is destined   
to guard the Gate.'" She smiled and brushed a red hair from her eyes.   
"Signed: 'Mistress of the Moon, 2576.'"  
With a shocked yelp, the pink cat dove from the sill and rushed   
over to the book, her red eyes wide and nervous. "Does that book really   
say all that?"  
"The Master is Peter," Ambriel continued, studying the many pages   
of notes that had accumulated in the notebook. "And the Guardian would   
have to be his sister. And, that would make the girl in gold the   
Keeper... That's Celeste. So, that would make me the pri..."  
The book smashed shut, a cloud of dust erupting from the tome as   
it closed. The little girl began coughing hysterically, her gray eyes   
staring upward at the culprit.  
"That's enough for today," put in Reeny quickly, one hand on a hip  
while the other lifted the book from the child's grasp. "No more   
prophecy."  
An angry pout came to the child's blank expression as she hopped   
to her feet, her gray eyes turning angry. "I am to be taught in the   
prophecy!" she shot at her pink-haired 'mother,' tone full of hate and   
loathing. "The Queen said..."  
"Forget what she said!" retorted the young adult, cutting into her  
child's statement. "I don't want you messing with this! It's dangerous!"  
"But she's the only one who gets it!" shrilled Carina, dashing   
from her bed and toward the gathering near the room's center. "You can't  
take a gift like that away!"  
Staring upward, the pinkish animal's red eyes pleaded silently   
with the Princess, both wide and hopeful. "She has the Gift, Reeny," she  
protested softly, her face nearly colorless. "The Gift of prophecy. She   
is but the second."  
"And the first was her mother," Reeny responded coolly, suddenly   
seeming twenty times more adult than she had but seconds earlier. "The   
real Angel Moon was killed, Diana. By her people. Because of a stupid   
Gift."  
Ambriel's face drained of all its glowing life as she stared up at  
the young woman in the school uniform. "Was...killed?" she stammered,   
eyes brimming with sparkling tears. "By her own people?"  
Sighing, the Princess of the Earth just laid a gentle hand on the   
child's head before taking the book and striding softly out of the room.  
************  
  
"You're flat."  
The two words, so plain, so boring, echoed through the giant   
mansion as the little boy looked up from his dripping ice cream cone.   
The violinist stared, just STARED, not quite knowing what to expect.  
Michelle's 'music room' was one of the two small rooms off the   
kitchen on the ground floor of the large house, and she'd dubbed it so   
because the acoustics had been very good for both piano and violin. It   
was slightly cramped, not leaving much room for more than a two people   
to stand and the upright piano to fit in (there was a grand piano in the  
living room, but that was more for show than to be used daily), but the   
musician had immediately taken a shining to the little room and declared  
it HERS.   
And that was where Peter, eating an ice cream cone and dripping   
the vanilla treat all over the floor, sat with his aunt, listening to   
her newest piece and commenting accordingly.  
The woman pursed her lips and looked down at the child, who was   
licking ice cream off his knuckles. "Flat?" she questioned, closing her   
large blue eyes and drawing the bow slowly across the strings. "I don't   
think..."  
"Not THAT note," insisted the boy, shaking his head of shaggy   
brown hair fervently. "That real high one you played a few seconds ago."  
She furrowed her brow and placed her fingers in their positions,   
drawing the long bow across a single string. Peter scowled and shivered   
a little, and then--once she'd stopped--focused back on the treat.  
"It's flat?" asked Michelle, opening the piano bench and pulling   
out a tiny black tuner. "Are you sure?"  
He only nodded.  
Once again, she played the note, and--sure as the boy had   
predicted--it was flat. But not by much. In fact, the untrained ear,   
admittedly including hers (though it was far from untrained), would be   
completely unable to tell that there was a problem. The tone hid the   
pitch. The only person who'd be able to tell was a bassist named Steve   
who she'd taught years and years ago, because...  
She froze. Because Steve had perfect pitch.  
Bending over, she looked in the red eyes of the boy and cocked her  
head to the side. "Peter, can you always tell if I'm flat?"  
"Most the time," he responded, mouth full of ice cream. "I dunno   
why, though. It just happens, and it can be annoying..."  
Snapping her fingers, the woman stood and quickly laid her   
instrument back in its case, a large smile spreading across her   
features. After she put the violin away, she seized the child by his   
wrist and pulled him out of the room, ice cream and all. "We're going to  
the Music Academy," she commanded.  
Peter made a face and struggled to get away from the seemingly   
crazed adult, dropping his ice cream cone on the kitchen floor as he was  
pulled toward the front door. "But... But..." He stuck out his lower   
lip as far as he could and attempted to cross his arms over his chest.   
"I don't WANNA go to a music school! I'm not even old enough to attend   
PRESCHOOL!"  
"I don't mean THAT," responded Michelle, pulling her car keys from  
a peg on the wall and crossing into the hallway. "I mean that we're   
going to get you the extra flute I ordered last month."  
"Oh." He smiled slightly, then the words registered and he scowled  
a second time. "A FLUTE? But I don't WANT a flute!"  
The woman just sighed and started out the door, still dragging the  
boy behind her.  
************  
  
She paced back and forth across the tiny footbridge near the large  
high school, her hands folded tightly behind her back as she waited. Her  
teal eyes never left the hands of the large white clock that was   
displayed atop the highest tower of the school. Two fifty-six. He wanted  
to meet her at three. And it was two fifty-six.  
Grass Valley High was a nice private school on the edge of Tokyo   
opposite her home, noted Haley as she studied the pleasant brick   
building that spread out in front of her. The campus was large and   
included a pleasant little park, complete with its own creek and grove   
of trees. Many large, rich-looking houses had their backyards open to   
the school grounds, and she promptly recognized a light blue one as the   
Hartford residence.  
Two fifty-nine.   
What did he want? What would be should very urgent that he had to   
call in the middle of his lunch hour in order to make her postpone a   
soccer practice and come out to the most private part of the campus?   
After all, school got out at quarter-till and...  
"Haley!" called a deep male voice from behind her. The brunette   
woman, her hair flying behind her, turned to face her boyfriend. His  
face was slightly darkened by a forced, faded smile, and his copper eyes  
were bittersweet.   
The teen pressed her lips together. His yell to her had seemed   
sweet and happy, but--upon further inspection of his face--she became   
convinced that the call hadn't been happy at all. She cocked her head to  
one side and let a nervous smile pull at her face. "Eric, are you okay?"  
Placing his book bag on the bridge's wide wooden ledge, Eric   
Hartford took a deep breath and focused his gaze on the cheery little   
creek that bubbled through the campus' edge. "We need to talk, Haley."  
She gasped, and her heart seemed to skip a beat as she stood   
gaping at him. It had been, what, two weeks? Maybe three? Her mind   
couldn't even recall the date of the first Scout meeting any more. Had   
it really been that long ago? No. Had it been that many monsters ago?   
Well, yes. Two fish, a bird, some...THING...named Kevin, and a little   
spat with Arthur. Five. That was more than they'd dealt with when the   
Raiders had been wandering around. The Raiders hadn't done anything. And  
these dopes wanted some sort of crystal...  
Shaking her head, Haley tried to clear the incoming cobwebs. The   
last time he'd wanted to 'talk' to her had been right when he'd dumped   
her for the seventh time in three years. And now...  
"No." Her voice wavered as she stared at him with angry teal eyes,  
nearly unable to move. "You can't just keep breaking up with me for   
frivolous reasons, Eric Hartford," she informed him in as stern a voice  
as she could muster. "If you do it this time, you're letting me go...for  
good..."  
The young man's brown-gold hair rustled in the cool winter wind as  
he turned to look at her, face impassive. He smiled slightly and took a   
deep breath. Nodding slightly, he turned his back and reached for the   
handle of his book bag. Then, as though on an after thought, he turned   
back to her, took two long steps and kissed her gently on the cheek.   
"Goodbye, Haley."  
Her breath caught in her throat as she watched him start, back   
toward her, down the path that led back to the high school. "You can't,   
Eric!" she called after him, high voice echoing through the area as she   
stared at his back. "I can't possibly... I... I..."  
Eric didn't turn around. He didn't look back. He continued to   
walk, one foot after another in a strict pattern, until he crossed   
through the trees and disappeared from view.  
Falling to her knees, Haley allow her breath to come in shuddering  
gasps as the tears began streaming down her cheeks. "Eric... I love   
you..." she sobbed after him, too soft to be heard. "I really do..."  
But the only sounds that she could hear were the bubbling of the   
creek and the sound of her own crying.  
************  
  
Lita pushed the door to her apartment closed and entered the   
living room. "Alice, I'm..."  
POP!  
She froze in mid-step, her keys clattering to the surface of the   
coffee table. The brunette didn't move. What in the world was that   
sound?  
POP!  
Furrowing her brow, she stared toward the half-open door to her   
daughter's bedroom. The sound was coming from in there.  
POP!  
"Alice?" called the woman, crossing through the living room and   
heading toward the open room. "Are you home?"  
POP!  
"Yeah, Mom!" responded a happy lilt. "I'm in here."  
POP!  
So Lita stepped into her daughter's large, open room. And she   
promptly allowed her eyes to widen and jaw to drop.  
The eighteen-year-old girl was sitting cross-legged on her bed, a   
few brown textbooks opened before her. A large pile of what appeared to   
be darts were laying haphazardly on the small round table beside the   
bed, and a few were scattered upon the floor. Balloons clogged one   
corner of the room, and a few dozen more were taped to the wall directly  
in front of the bed. Alice waved at her mother and then picked up a   
dart.  
POP!  
The woman jumped as the little projectile slammed into one of the   
balloons on the wall, popping it and sending little scraps of latex   
everywhere. Confetti fell from within the balloon. "What on Earth?"  
POP!  
Alice's brown eyes gleamed as she turned the page in one of her   
books. "Well, I was greeted today by that Todd kid and two others, and   
they each had a few dozen balloons with them."  
POP!  
Brushing a brown hair from her eyes, Lita placed her hands on her   
hips. "What were the balloons for?" she questioned.  
POP!  
"Well," explained the teen, "in one of each the 'sets' is a little  
piece of paper asking me to go to prom..."  
POP!  
"And the point is to find the paper. Even Todd went and did it,   
though I said no. He really wants to be my date. I didn't quite know   
what to say..."  
POP!  
She looked up at the adult and shrugged. "So I said that I wasn't   
going to prom. And got nearly one hundred balloons for the trouble,   
because Todd had some delivered here after school, too."  
POP!  
A scowl crossed the delicate features of the restaurateur as she   
watched her daughter throw more darts and flip a page in the biggest of   
the books--a strange book, one she'd never seen before.   
POP!  
"What's that, Alice?" questioned Lita softly, furrowing her brow   
as she stared at the book. "Did you buy a new biology book?"  
POP!  
The teen smiled. "Nah," she commented. "It's for my..."  
POP!  
"Your what?" asked the woman, unable to hear her daughter's   
response over the balloon popping.   
POP!  
And Alice grinned again. "My homosexuality class," she responded   
casually. "I started it today."  
Her mother just gasped.  
POP!  
************  
  
"But I don't WANT a flute!" whined the child as he sat in the   
large instrument storage room, watching his aqua-haired aunt intently as  
she fumbled with some odd lock. "It's not FAIR!" His red eyes stared at   
her, noticing that she had no intent of listening to her. Peter crossed  
his arms over his chest. "I'm going to start crying..."  
Michelle glanced up from the lock, flipping through the large ring  
of gold keys that she held. "You'll do no such thing," she assured the   
boy, not looking directly at him, "or else your mother will find out   
about your misbehavior." She smiled at him, blue eyes dancing with a   
certain silent mirth as she met his gaze. "And you know how your mother   
can get."  
Frowning, he wrinkled his nose. "That doesn't mean I have to like   
it," he argued.   
"I never said it did," countered the adult.  
A wave of silence washed over them as the woman fiddled with the   
lock of what appeared to be a small closet. Students would enter and   
leave occasionally, opening lockers and then closing them, either   
pulling out beautiful silver or golden instruments or putting said   
instruments away. It led Peter to wonder how long they had been sitting   
in the room. After all, a good ten kids, all in their aqua-and-gold   
school uniforms, had both come and gone in the last few minutes. He   
sighed. He was the Master of Time and couldn't even tell how long   
something lasted...  
There was a click, and Michelle let out a long sigh. "Finally!"   
she announced in an exasperated tone. "I need to get Alex to fix   
that..." With those words, she pulled Peter off his chair and into the   
closet with her.   
From the outside, the closet had looked to be tiny, but--though it  
was as narrow as it seemed to be--it was quite long. It was shelved, and  
those shelves were filled with instruments and cases. There were ten or   
twelve clarinets, a few trumpets, at least four piccolos, a baritone,   
some funny thing that looked like a cross between a doughnut and a tuba,  
a couple of saxophones, and three flutes.  
The child gasped. "What is this?" he asked, raising a brown   
eyebrow. "The instrument graveyard?"  
"This is my private collection," his aunt responded with a slight   
smile. "I have either bought or received all these over the years that   
this school has existed." Her smile grew. "Sometimes, students give   
their older instruments to me so that others can use them. Other times,   
I buy an instrument so that a certain student can use it and then, that   
student quits. Or graduates." She shrugged and opened one of the flute   
cases, studying the instrument within. "And they come here."  
Poking at the doughnut-tuba hybrid, Peter smiled cheerily and   
breathed in the scent of the room--a scent that was of valve oil and   
clarinet reeds and cool mental and warm wood, all at the same time.   
"This is a pretty neat place..."  
"If you can find what you're looking for," muttered Michelle,   
stepping back from the shelf and running a hand through her wavy hair.   
"The Gemeinhart flute I was looking for isn't here..."  
"The who wasn't what?" questioned the boy, glancing up at her.   
"And I thought that Aeris needed a smaller vocabulary..."  
Sighing, the woman took his hand. "Hush," she scolded, pulling him  
along with her and out of the instrument closet. "I wish I knew what I   
did with it..."  
Back in the instrument storage room, Michelle locked 'her' room--  
an undertaking that was much easier than unlocking it in the first   
place--and sighed a long sigh. "I don't understand," commented the   
adult. "I could have SWORN..."  
"Miss Kaioh!" called a young voice from behind the duo. A tall,   
thin brunette girl stood in the doorway to the instrument storage room,   
holding a small black case that appeared to be that of a flute. "I'm so   
glad I found you!" the girl, no older than sixteen, smiled, holding out  
the case. "Miss Ten'ou lent me this flute because I left mine at home,   
and I believe it's yours..."  
Though her facial expression clearly stated 'I'm going to KILL   
Alexandra,' Michelle accepted the instrument back and smiled politely.   
"Thank you, Beth," she responded kindly, shooting a forced smile at the  
girl. "I was just beginning to wonder where it had gone to..."  
"Mine!" announced Peter, pulling the case out of his aunt's hands   
and clutching it to his chest. Both of the females stared down at him in  
surprise, not knowing what to say. He smiled weakly. "What?" he   
inquired, a bit confused. "I wanted my flute..."  
The aqua-haired one raised an eyebrow. "I thought you didn't want   
one..." she sighed, shaking her head.  
"A silver flute...for an eight-year-old?" Beth raised an eyebrow   
and glanced warily at her principal.   
Michelle just smiled.  
************  
  
A tall, lithe form, darkened by the shadows from the numerous   
trees, slipped through the hardly-opened door, slipping off her small   
black shoes as she did so. Her white socks made no noise on the wooden   
floor as she snuck down the hall and through the dark kitchen. Silently,  
she pulled the refrigerator door open and took out a cold slice of   
pizza. The soft white light from the appliance illuminated the room in   
its sweet glow for a short moment before she pushed the door back shut.   
Bathed, once again, in the darkness, a smile crossed her face. They   
hadn't noticed...  
And then a light flipped on.  
"Tara Larch Yuuichirou," scolded an impassive voice from the   
doorway. "Did you forget what tonight was?"  
She grimaced and pressed her pale lips together, running her free   
hand along the edge of the countertop as she took a large bite of pizza.  
"Uhh..." Her green eyes studied the emotionless features of one tanned   
face and the angry, tempered glare of two violet eyes. "I don't know,"   
Tara admitted with a slight shrug, leaning her school-clothes-clad body   
against the white refrigerator as she spoke, "but I'm sure that you'll   
inform me."  
Raye's eyes, which had already been locked in a glare, lowered to   
slits. Her thin red lips, the same shade as her long nightgown, curved   
into a frown. "Tonight was your night to greet visitors and hang the   
charms on the prayer tree," she told her daughter dryly. Glancing at the  
half-eaten piece of pizza, she shook her head. "And it was your night to  
cook."  
"Sorry, Mother," sighed the teen, her tone not so much apologetic   
as it was filled with disappointment--the disappointment of being   
caught. She shrugged and tossed her crust in the garbage. "A bunch of   
girls from Crossroads invited me out to a movie and then to the new   
club, and I couldn't..."  
"Damnit, Tara!" shot the priestess suddenly, her face suddenly   
that of one in a large amount of pain. "You've done nothing around this   
house for nearly two weeks! Are you expecting an invitation to be a   
Shinto?" Her purple eyes held their glare as they welled up with tears.   
"Do you want to be part of this religion or not, Tara?"  
The teen froze, her green eyes locked within her mother's gaze.   
"Is that what you're asking?" she questioned, her tongue darting across   
her pale lips. "Are you asking if I want to be a priestess?"  
Nodding, the woman clenched her hands around the gentle folds of   
her silken nightgown.   
Tara shrugged and tossed her hair haughtily. "Then, no," she   
answered bluntly, pushing past her mother and toward the hallway that   
led to her bedroom. She could hear Raye gasp and, for that reason,   
turned around to see tears streaming down tanned cheeks.  
Raye turned away, wordless.  
And her daughter sighed. "I'd rather be a normal girl than a   
priestess."   
And her words echoed through the tiny temple as she slid the door   
to her bedroom open and, softly, shut it behind her.  
************   
  
The dark skies of Crystal Tokyo hid the silhouette from the   
watchful eyes. He could feel the eyes upon him. They were the eyes of   
his Queen. The Queen of Evil. Ginnie.  
Groaning inwardly, he kicked the chain-link fence that surrounded   
the large graveyard.   
"It's not fair," whined Arthur, his brown eyes focusing on the   
ground as he strode down the sidewalk. "Really, it's not." Scowling, he   
kicked the fence a second time. "I mean, I wasn't the one to lose it in   
the first place."  
Just then, the overcast skies opened to reveal the beautiful,   
sparkling silver moon. He glanced up at it and felt anger build within   
the farthest reaches of his soul. Sailor Moon... It was all that pesky   
girl's fault! If she'd just left him alone, then he could have found the  
crystal and solved the problem...  
Pulling a strange green crystal--one shaped like a fish--from his   
uniform pocket, he took a deep breath. He'd been told that this last   
crystal could do dangerous things... But, then again... If he could   
win...  
"By the power of darkness!" he cried, throwing the green object to  
the ground and watching it shatter. "I command you--bring me power!"  
A dark cloud of smoke billowed up around him. Muscles bulged, fins  
grew, eyes enlarged... Cackling, Arthur smiled as his new self was   
kissed by the night breeze.  
For he was now a strange human-fish hybrid.  
************  
  
  
Standing out on the balcony, the child let her high ponytail down   
and felt the wind as it whipped around her body. The thin, white silk   
nightgown did nothing to shield her from the harshness of the late   
winter air as she stood, a solitary being, bathed in a stream of   
moonlight. Taking a deep breath, she closed her gray eyes and centered   
her mind. All that she could think of was the hurt she felt. The hurt   
that she felt knowing that her mother wouldn't let her study the one   
thing that meant the most to her. And it did hurt...  
The building shook suddenly, and Ambriel clutched at the railing   
of the tiny space, peering down into the dark streets of Tokyo for any   
signs of light.  
A flash of green tore through the black, and Crystal Palace once   
again trembled violently. She could hear the raid sirens echo through   
the night, but gray orbs were focused on but one thing...  
"Ambriel!" called a voice from within the building, no doubt   
coming from the hallway or from her mother's room. "We're ordered to the  
basement!"  
Another tremor.   
Reaching into the single pocket of her nightclothes, the child   
pulled a little gold, silver, and, white stick out and raised it into   
the air. Her eyes didn't pull from the golden fish-human hybrid that was  
throwing energy bolts at the Palace.  
Someone burst through her bedroom door, and she recognized Lisa's  
voice. "AMBRIEL!"  
"Angel Moon Galactic Power... MAKE UP!"  
************  
  
"My God!" yelped Sailor Polaris, diving away from a giant stream   
of green steaming energy and pulling her little blonde sister down with   
her. "What the Hell is that thing?"  
The giant creature, which looked suspiciously like a fish with   
human feet, roared and threw a flash of green into the sky, lighting up   
the night with a surreal glow. The ominous shadow that was cast by the   
Crystal Palace hung over the four present Scouts (and one present   
Prince), stretching toward the Heavens in some sort of silent prayer.   
Groaning, the blonde-haired Scout clambered to her feet and glanced at   
the brunette one. "Any ideas?"  
Sailor Comet was crouching alongside a large blue mailbox,   
attempting to remain undetected by the giant fish-thing as she studied   
it pensively. She wrinkled her now. "Without that computer Phoebe stole  
from her mom, I can't be sure, BUT..." She rose to her full height and   
held her arms straight above her head. "Fiery Crater!"  
A giant red-and-black ball of fire and rock flew through the air,   
straight toward the monster. Leaping high into the dark night sky, the   
creature avoided it and sent a quick series of eight beams of green   
soaring toward the teen. She leapt out of the way and sent a second,   
smaller rock streaming toward it, this one making contact and knocking   
it from its feet.  
Wiping sweat from her brow, Aurora Borealis held a hand out to   
Chibi-Star. "Well?" she questioned.  
"It's Arthur!" announced a new voice.  
Everyone turned to see a girl with navy blue hair of average   
height standing in the middle of the street, the red fabric of her fuku   
skirt blowing softly in the wind as she typed furiously on a tiny blue   
computer. On either side of her stood two small children, one in a fuku   
of red and black, and the other wearing a tuxedo. The purple metal and   
the red gems of their Time Keys sparkled in the pale light emanating   
from a single street lamp.   
"Arthur?" inquired the Starlit Prince, his blue eyes glancing   
pensively at the groaning, slithering body of the monster. "But, he was   
human..."  
Sailor Chibi-Pluto shrugged her shoulders. "Something has changed   
that young man into the horror that we see before us..."  
There was a roar, and the Arthur-fish suddenly sprang back onto   
its feet, licking its crimson lips ravenously. It's evil eyes made   
contact with the purple-and-yellow garbed Chibi-Scout, and it smiled.  
"Celeste!" screamed Sailor Polaris, whipping around to see the   
creature start for the girl, who was froze in fear. "Watch out!"  
Chibi-Star just whimpered and tried to take a step back.   
"Fiery..."  
"Starlit..."  
"Rainbow..."  
"Shining..."  
"Dead..."  
There was a dull clunk that sounded, interrupting the Scouts from   
their various attempts to save the small blonde one, and all the heads   
turned.  
In front of Sailor Chibi-Star stood Peter, deftly using his Time   
Key as a bludgeon against the giant fish-person. Each time the cretin   
got any closer to the child, the small brunette boy swung his staff as   
hard as he could, connecting with the soft orange-pink belly of the   
monster.   
Shaking her head, Phoenix held out a hand. "Shining... Dawn!"  
The sun-globe fell from the air and based into the Arthur-fish,   
knocking him about fifteen feet away from the two Chibi-Scouts and onto   
his back. Peter grabbed Chibi-Star's wrist and pulled her away from the   
creature, toward the others.  
"We're screwed," muttered Comet, watching as the monster stood up   
and aimed his red-eyed glare toward the frantic, shivering group of   
Sailor Scouts. "Let's say our prayers before we meet the big guy."  
"What big guy?" asked the blue-haired one innocently, stumbling   
backward as she was glanced at by the creature. "God or King Endymion?"  
Chibi-Pluto gulped. "I'm too young to die..."  
The fish roared and gathered a giant ball of green in its left   
fist, smiling evilly as it began to chant some sort of odd, sick   
incantation. The smile grew as the ball grew.  
And then, just when it looked like all was lost...  
"Angelic Glow!"  
A bolt of silver ripped through the air and bashed into the fish-  
human, running him into one of the large quartz walls that surrounded   
Crystal Palace.  
The little red-haired angel, her gray eyes smiling, floated   
gently to the ground on wide feathery wings. "Need some help?"   
questioned she with a smirk.  
"About time," muttered Aurora Borealis, receiving an elbow in the   
ribs from Phoenix.  
The fish-thing groaned and slowly began to clamber to its feet,   
shaking its head to clear the cobwebs that had, no doubt, taken over.   
The Scouts all gasped in a starling unison.  
"Again?" The Starlit Prince drew a rose from inside his jacket.  
Polaris wrinkled her nose. "Will it ever stop?"  
"TSUNAMI!" yelled yet another voice as a wave of water rushed over  
the creature's body and knocked it, once again, onto the black pavement.  
Everyone turned their heads. There, in the darkness, stood three   
figures--two in Sailor fukus, and one in some sort of strange silver   
tunic that looked somewhat like pajamas. One of the threesome was   
panting, her white-gloved hands still stretched in front of her, their   
palms wet. And the center of the three smiled, pulled a sword from her   
hip, and took a few long steps forward.  
Sailor Moon glanced at Arthur and pointed her sword right at him.   
He froze.  
"Well, well, well," she drawled, amusement in her voice. "Look   
what we have here..." Flicking a pink hair from her eyes, she yawned.   
"Evil." She grinned. "Well, listen bud--the world is a wonderful place,   
and it does not lead itself to evil. I am the pretty sailor-suited agent  
of love and justice, Sailor Moon, and--on behalf of the Moon--I will   
punish you." The sword's blade flashed in the pale starlight. "Any last   
words, sucker?"  
The monster gulped and tried to climb to its feet, but not before   
three words rang through the darkness.  
"Moon... Saber... Illumination."   
************  
  
"Hey, Rob?" questioned the large red-eyed calico cat from her spot  
on the arm of the couch. "Can I ask you something?"  
The young blonde man looked up from his book. The brunette man at   
the computer stopped his typing long enough to glance over at the   
animal. The raven-haired woman stopped cleaning the feathers of a giant   
emu.  
Rob rolled his blue eyes. "Yes, Dolly?" he responded coolly, wary   
of the stares she was receiving from his three cohorts. "What is it?"  
She smiled, flashing sharp white teeth. "I don't know if it   
matters, BUT..." The cat glanced over at the fish tank and at a large   
goldfish. "Bubba just went belly-up."  
************  
  
She stood in the shadow of the huge building, her braids whipping   
her face as she stared at the skyscraper. Ice blue orbs then trailed   
down to look at the sheet of paper she held in her clutches, and she   
felt her breath catch in her throat.   
"Phoebe?" came a timid but masculine voice from her feet. "Are you  
okay?"  
The teen glanced down at her orange and white cat and smiled   
slightly, but it was a sad smile. A secretive smile. A smile that was   
hiding the tears.   
Nodding slightly, she let her tongue dart across her lips. "It's   
amazing, Orb," she sighed, brushing a loose strand of blue from her eyes  
and staring at the doorway. "I know this stuff cold, and I want so badly  
to do this, but I keep claming up..."  
Her guardian, the cynical, sarcastic Moon cat, blinked his copper   
eyes and glanced up at her. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked  
softly, voice compassionate.   
"That's the problem," she chuckled, pushing a tear from her face   
and taking a deep breath. "I really do."  
And she left Orb on the steps of the movie studio to contemplate   
as she started into the building.  
************  
  
Galactic Sailors Say!  
  
(Enter all Galactic Sailors. They all try to fit on the stage but don't   
quite fit, so Celeste and Aeris sit on the stage's edge and Ambriel is   
held on Reeny's shoulders.)  
  
Alice: (VERY seriously) Homosexuality is a very serious thing.  
  
(Everybody face vaults.)  
  
Phoebe: (shocked) THAT'S this episode's Sailor Says?  
  
Alice: (furrows brow) What?  
  
Haley: (indignantly) I DON'T believe this... (storms off stage.)  
  
(Others all reposition themselves so that they have a bit more elbow   
room.)  
  
Lyra: (cautiously) Alice... Why exactly do you say this?  
  
Alice: (smiles) We've been learning all about it in class! (doubtful   
glances) Really! It turns out that ten out of twelve* homosexuals are   
teased by their peers!  
  
(Aeris mutters about her contract and walks off.)  
  
Tara: Wouldn't that be five out of six, Alice?  
  
(Peter wrinkles his nose and elbows past the others, following his   
sister.)  
  
Alice: (makes face) Well, whatever! The point here is that homosexuality  
should NOT be taken lightly.  
  
(Reeny and Ambriel leave.)  
  
Celeste: (smiles) Well, I think it's good that you're taking a stand!   
(softly) For your own kind...  
  
(Everyone that's left [Lyra, Phoebe, Alice, Tara] face vaults.)  
  
Alice: (shocked) You thought I was GAY?  
  
(Lyra, Tara, and Celeste stride out, all laughing and giggling amongst   
themselves.)  
  
Alice: (to Phoebe; "Stunned bunny" look on face) You all thought that I  
was gay?  
  
Phoebe: (puts on hand on Alice's shoulder) Well, if the shoe fits...  
  
Alice: (pulls off one of her shoes and lobs it at Phoebe as she peels   
out of the room.)  
  
Phoebe: (far off) We all say...  
  
Voices: SEE YA!  
  
*I made that stat up.  
  
-I Know-  
Look around...  
(Ambriel stares down at Tokyo from the top tower of Crystal Palace)  
So many things aren't clear...  
(Aeris and Peter stand before the Gate of Time with terrified   
expressions)  
Don't worry, though...  
(Haley smiles and turns a page in her book)  
You know that I'll be there...  
(Orion and Orb chase after the kittens)  
A lot of things are so uncertain...  
(Tara, near tears, bites her lip)  
The future's on its way...  
(Michelle holds Delaney, an amazed smile on her face)  
Look into my crying eyes...  
(Reeny wipes tears off her cheeks while Serenity watches nervously)  
Don't take your love away!  
(Alice slams the door in her father's face)  
  
Sometimes, the road looks long...  
(Lyra looks up at the North Star)  
And sometimes, the world seems wrong...  
(Phoebe hugs her mother around the waist)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(The six Galactic Sailors hold up their lockets)  
  
Sometimes, you feel weak...  
(Richard grabs onto the wrist of a falling Celeste)  
And sometimes, the future looks bleak...  
(Terrence shakes his head as Sailor Pluto walks through the Gate of Time)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(Ambriel, Celeste, and Aeris all hold up their transformation pens)  
  
Times will change...  
(Tara, robes flying, chases Joshua around the courtyard)  
People will change, too...  
(Haley plays with her now-long hair)  
But deep inside...  
(Helios takes Reeny's hands in his)  
I always will love you...  
(Richard bends down to kiss Lyra)  
I suppose there are questions now...  
(Peter tugs on Terrence's pant leg)  
The answers are so far...  
(Alice and Phoebe dive for a floating sphere and miss)  
But look at me and smile now...  
(Hannah and Brian both smile as Alex takes Delaney into her arms)  
I am your guiding star!  
(Lyra and Richard stare at Celeste and Peter, who are watching the   
sunset)  
  
Sometimes, the road looks long...  
(Lyra looks up at the North Star)  
And sometimes, the world seems wrong...  
(Phoebe hugs her mother around the waist)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(The six Galactic Sailors hold up their lockets)  
  
Sometimes, you feel weak...  
(Richard grabs onto the wrist of a falling Celeste)  
And sometimes, the future looks bleak...  
(Terrence shakes his head as Sailor Pluto walks through the Gate of Time)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(Ambriel, Celeste, and Aeris all hold up their transformation pens)  
  
I know...  
(Chibi-Pluto, the Angel Moon, and Chibi-Star stand together)  
I know...  
(The Galactic Sailors stand together)  
All you need is love...  
(All nine girls stand together)  
All you need...is...love...  
(The Prince and Princess of the Stars kiss)  
************  
  
So, that's that! It's taken me about two weeks and 34 revisions (a total  
708 minutes or nearly 30 hours) to write this one. Impressive, ne?  
  
The Lost Episode is next... Stay tuned...  
  
--Kate  



	5. The Haunt of the Past

The Haunt of the Past  
  
Author's Ramblings: Okay, I have a confession to make. It's not like I   
have a problem with confessions, really--I'm not Haruka and I don't mind  
pouring out my soul. After all, about half the band knows all about me   
and my...quirks... No, but my confession is thus:  
I did not create Moon Saber Illumination.  
Most of you out there will not appreciate this little tale, but listen   
anyway--I lent my SM tapes (dub only) to my close buddy Ginnie (make   
your own assumptions about who she is). Well, Ginnie invited a fellow   
Moonie/high school student Jenny Smith over, and they promptly began to   
watch SMR, one ep after another.   
And Jenny found that the words "Moon Scepter Elimination" could be   
replaced with the words "Moon Saber Illumination" and still fit with the  
mouth.  
Meanwhile, there was this writer, struggling to complete her epic story.  
And she'd been playing around with the idea of giving her Neo-Sailor   
Moon a sword.  
And the rest, my friends, is history...  
************  
What's the buzz? Tell me what's a happening...  
  
Phoebe got a letter asking her to try out for a movie. Celeste came to   
visit Lyra and Richard and kinda had a spat with her sister. Tara   
decided that she doesn't want to be Shinto any more and gets into a spat  
with her mother. Lyra flunked an essay. Diana was forced to take in   
Carina as an apprentice. Ambriel started studying prophecy, but Reeny   
took it away. And Alice began a homosexuality class.  
  
And that, my friends, is where the story begins...  
************  
  
They all sat, silently, in the large white-walled bedroom of the   
Princess of the Earth, their faces solemn, their voices hushed. No one   
said a word; they just all sat together, thinking... Thinking of the   
lives the were living.   
Leaning back in her plush chair, the pink-haired one glanced out   
of the window. "Another day, another battle," she sighed, shaking her   
head slightly as her red eyes observed the slow setting of the March   
sun. "But I can't put my finger on this feeling..."  
Tara nodded solemnly, staring at the floor. "It's been two weeks,  
guys," she put in softly, thoughtfully. "It seems as though they've   
given up on us..."  
"They haven't given up," Richard assured them, his arms wrapped   
around the curly-haired blonde's waist as she sat in his lap. "Trust me   
on that one." Sighing, he bit his lower lip pensively. "They're just   
biding their time."  
Phoebe stomped a foot and crossed her arms, accidentally elbowing   
both Alice and Haley, who shared the couch with her. "That STILL doesn't  
explain the premonition of doom we've all been feeling, does it?" No one  
meet her intense ice-blue gaze. "Something is happening!"  
Sighing, the little green-haired girl drew her knees to her chin.   
"But I do not believe that this happening is going to be directly   
related to us," she countered the teen. "I believe there is a rift in   
the Time-Space Continuum..."  
"But... The last time that something like that happened..."   
Celeste glanced at Reeny nervously. "My mother said that the last time   
anyone used time travel was when Chibi-Moon was sent into the past with   
Pluto..."  
Everyone looked suspiciously at the pink-haired one, who had risen  
and made her way to sit beside Helios on the giant silk-sheeted bed. Her  
face was gaunt; her manner extremely unusual... And there she sat.  
The silence in the room was deafening as everyone stared at her.   
She was breathing heavily as she sat, her eyes not really seeing as much  
as they were darting about. Her muscles were tense.  
"Is our mother going to bring your past self somewhere, Reeny?"   
questioned Peter very cautiously, folding his hands on his lap.  
Nodding a bit, the Princess sighed. "It's amazing..." she sighed.   
"You sit down and think... I mean REALLY think... And you realize that,   
as hard as you may deny it, you've been changed." She drew in a sharp,   
almost painful breath. "The Pluto who took me to battle the Death   
Busters came from now."  
"THIS now?" asked Ambriel, hopping off the edge of her mother's   
desk and climbing onto the bed. "That wasn't in the prophecy..."  
Reeny shook her head and continued. "It amazes me that she never   
spoke of what happened in this time," she told her friends, a slight   
smile teasing her face. "She never told me about you guys, or her   
husband and children, or..." With a shrug, she laid her head on Helios'  
shoulder. "I've always wondered about it--the entire time--and yet, I   
never could ask..."  
"But why..." Eyes turned to study the brunette Haley, who sat with  
her legs crossed at the knee as she chewed anxiously on her thumbnail.   
For a short moment, all the Scouts were suddenly reminded that--in a   
practical manner, at least--she was the oldest of them all. The brown-  
haired woman smiled slightly and drew her finger from her mouth. "I  
mean, I don't understand why a Pluto of one time would get help from a   
Reeny of another. It doesn't make sense."  
The silver-haired priest of Elysion nodded slightly at her   
comment, silently acknowledging the Sailor Scout of the Comets.   
"Innocence," he answered softly. "With so many different dimensions and   
worlds, it's obvious that one Reeny--a six-year-old--would be much less  
worldly than another and less innocent--like this one." He took and   
squeezed one of the soft hands of his Princess.   
"I suppose that the Mistress of Pluto wanted to help prepare Reeny  
for what lies...or had lied...ahead," put in Alice thoughtfully, resting  
her chin in one of her hands. "Since she came the present--our 'now'--  
she knew that we'd someday fight evil and wanted to put that   
'never-give-up' spirit in the Princess before the Galactic Sailors were  
united." She nodded to herself. "Makes sense."  
Aeris' multicolored eyes surveyed the room, resting for a  
long moment on Reeny. Sighing, she studied the Princess. "Are you   
suggesting the fact that she--my MOTHER--was aware that this was going   
to happen?" the child asked softly, pressing her lips together. "She   
was aware to the fact she would have to abandon us? And save the past?"  
The blonde Chibi-Scout put an arm around each of the young Pluto  
twins. "She is the Guardian of Time," Celeste said delicately,   
hugging the two Chibi-Scouts--both of whom were about to lose their  
mother--close to her. "Revealing the future has been against   
the law since even before Queen Serenity and the Gold Moon Kingdom."  
Celeste forced a reassuring smile as she loosened her grip on the two   
others; but she suddenly paled and her green eyes gained a certain void,  
timeless quality. "And I believe that, in the long run, it will be   
better this way."  
"Better?" repeated Peter, his voice almost that of an amused adult  
looking down on a small child. "How could it possibly be good that our   
mother is leaving us?"  
With a slight, confused smile, Tara shrugged her shoulders and   
rested her elbows upon her thighs. "And how could it be good that we're   
putting our lives on the line every day?" she retorted knowingly. The   
red-eyed boy glanced at her, and she shrugged once again. "It's all in   
the way you look at it, Peter."  
Lyra nodded in agreement. "Besides, who knows what day she'll   
leave on," the blonde put in, leaning into the warm arms that held her.   
"For all we know, that Evil Queen will be dead and buried by then."  
"Or not," returned Ambriel dryly, her gray eyes staring out the   
window. "I have read of the future, and it shows hardship..."  
"Prophecy, Ambriel," shot Helios sternly, "is not the be-all,   
end-all of existence!" Heads turned to glance at him, and, slowly, the   
red drained from his face. "And, if all of us are feeling this   
strange premonition now..." He trailed off.  
Pushing his glasses up on his nose, Richard let out a long sigh.   
"Helios is right," he agreed in a somber tone. "Whatever happens..."  
"Happens soon," finished the two children of Pluto in unison,   
their gazes meeting despite the sweet blonde child who sat between them,  
hugging both of them close. The green-haired girl smiled slightly. The   
boy sighed a bit.   
And, collapsing onto Celeste, they both began sobbing.  
************  
  
"And I don't get it!" She sighed, kicking the couch   
in frustration. "She was such a happy, excitable girl, and she   
wanted SO badly to just fall in love and be happy!" The woman cradled   
her head in the palms of her hands and closed her green eyes, upset near  
tears. "I don't get it..."  
"So..." Ken furrowed his brow and glanced at the emotional woman   
beside him. "Is our daughter gay or not?"  
Silence fell over the sumptuous Kino apartment as the brunette   
restaurateur raised her head and looked at the man beside her. He was a   
tall, intimidating man, really; he was near six-foot-two, and was both   
broad-shouldered and muscular. His auburn hair hung in his   
docile chestnut eyes, making the beast of a man look more like a boy.   
Lita smiled slightly at the sight he made and leaned her head on his   
shoulder, not resisting as he wrapped a welcome arm around her   
shoulders.  
And then, she remembered the reason for her frustration and felt  
the tears that had momentarily been pushed away by her pang of happiness  
bubble back up to the surface.  
"I don't know what Alice is," she admitted softly, her voice weak   
with anxiety as it had been strong with anger before. "Yesterday, I   
found a dozen pink carnations in the garbage can, and--when I found   
myself thinking about them until it nearly made me sick--I asked her  
about them."  
He cocked his head to the side and raised a single eyebrow. "So?"  
Shaking her head, the woman continued. "She said that they were   
from Todd again," Lita said softly. "She said he asked her again--  
and this would be the fifth time--to go to prom with him." Chuckling to   
herself, she wiped a tear away. "And Alice STILL SAID no. And as for  
the flowers, she said: 'They're going to wilt and die anyway, right? So,  
why not let them spend their last days with the banana peels and moldy   
sausage?'" Lita snorted and buried half her face in a hand. "I don't   
know what to think..."  
"If you're so concerned," suggested Ken in a helpful tone, "why   
don't you ask her?"  
With a squeal, she began to laugh hysterically, as though she'd   
just heard some sort of incredible joke. "That's just what Alex   
suggested!" she guffawed loudly. "She said I should ASK my daughter   
about her sexuality!"  
He leaned back into the plush green couch and stretched. "Well, I   
always said that your friend Alex was a...uuhhh...reasonable and...  
umm...enlightened woman..." he stammered, a bit red. "She seems quite   
brilliant and..."  
"Alex Ten'ou?" shot Lita, her giggles ending abruptly. "Last time   
you saw her, you said that Alex was a 'rip-roaring dyke who wouldn't   
know a pen--'"  
"I know what I said!" interrupted the man, running a nervous hand   
through his shaggy hair. "And I also remember Alex kicking my ass for   
saying that!"  
She grinned and snuggled close to him. "The early 2500s were   
always my favorite years, you know..."  
A sort of companionable silence ensued for a long moment, the two   
forgetting the woes that their daughter had inadvertently caused as they  
sat in each other's arms. Outside, the Wednesday night was just turning   
dark, changing the city of Crystal Tokyo into a sea of brightly colored   
lights.   
And then, the apartment door swung open before them.  
"I'm HOME!" called Alice, not looking up from her purse as she   
deposited her car keys in the little navy bad. "I just had a really   
strange meeting with the Scouts and--" Her brown eyes glanced up, toward  
the couch, and she froze like a deer in headlights. Her pink lips   
pressed together as she hung her purse on the inside of the doorknob,   
wordlessly. She wrinkled her nose disdainfully at the arm wrapped   
around her mother. She downright glared at the person that the arm was   
part of.  
"Hello, MOTHER."  
Lita tried to smile, despite the venom in such an unimportant   
phrase. "Hi, dear," she greeted, sitting up and pulling slightly away   
from her love. He stopped her from standing, his arm still firmly around  
her shoulder, and shot her a glance. A glance that stated: 'You'll   
never get her to understand if you dodge the subject.'   
But she didn't read nor care about the gaze from Ken and rose   
slowly, weaseling out from under his grip. Smoothing the sides of her   
black business pants, she sighed. "Uhh... Scott Thompson and Jake   
something-or-other called while you were out," she piped up after a   
long, uncertain pause. "They both asked if you got the cassette tapes."  
The teen nodded and pulled a plastic zip-lock bag from her coat   
pocket. Inside were the remains of what would have, in life, been tapes.  
They were utterly shattered. "'I Know--the All You Need is Prom Remix,'   
to the tune of 'I Know [All You Need is Love]' by Scott Thompson,"   
recited she in a bored tone, "and 'When a Man Loves a Woman,' as sung by  
Jake Hanson." Shaking her head slowly, she deposited the bag on the   
coffee table and shrugged. "If anyone wants me, I'll be in my room." She  
bowed a bit. "Is that alright, Mother?" And then, not waiting for an   
answer, she strode quickly across the room, slamming her bedroom door   
behind her.  
Slowly sitting back down on the couch beside the man who was, in   
some strange form, her soul mate, Lita allowed all the color to drain   
slowly from her face. She stared at Ken for a long moment, not knowing   
the right words to express her feeling, and then she did the only thing   
she could.  
She burst out crying.  
************  
  
"I would say I was displeased," the woman drawled, her footfalls   
echoing on the black tile floor as she paced up and down before the   
threesome, her pale face's features completely knotted with anger and   
annoyance, "but that would be doing that word a certain injustice. I  
would say I was...angry, but that would be doing my emotions a large  
injustice." She turned to the group, her dark brown eyes sparkling with  
hate. Her fingers thoughtlessly caressed the smooth skin of a bright   
green frog as she stood before them, her face devoid of all emotion. "I  
could have accepted Kevin's failure with an open heart, for he was a   
dolt. But Arthur?" She shook her head, dark hair wiping about her face  
as she did so. "His defeat was inexcusable."  
The blonde man nodded quickly and put his hands before him in a   
surrendering gesture. "We know, Queen Ginnie, but..."  
"SILENCE!" she roared, throaty voice echoing across the royal   
throne room. The three officers before her all snapped into attention,   
their faces cadaverous with fear. "I don't want your excuses, Rob," she   
whispered, walking forward and clutching the young man by his collar and  
glaring into the large, alarmed azure eyes. "I want results."  
"But what are we to do?" asked Seth softly, pushing his glasses   
farther up on his nose as he glanced nervously at his Queen. She let go   
of Rob's neck long enough to meet the gaze of the man, and he gulped.   
"If the Sailor Scouts are too strong..."  
Ginnie rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to her frog.   
"They are not too strong," she informed them dryly. "You are too scared   
of what will happen if they catch you." A slight, sardonic smile kissed   
her face as she touched the frog's green skin. "But you, Seth, have   
given me an idea."  
Eyes widening, Tina stared at her Queen and master. "He DID?" she   
inquired, shocked.  
"Yes," responded Ginnie, looking up and nodding once toward the   
black haired girl. "Seth?"  
He glanced at her, wordless, an unspoken fear in his brown eyes.  
"You will be the next to find the crystal..." She paused and   
smirked. "And you need only to match your wits against the Sailor   
Scouts. And DO NOT fail me..."  
************  
  
"Good morning, sunshine," smiled a sleepy Terrence, opening his   
eyes to stare into a vast sea of crimson. The soft breath on his face   
had awoken him from an already oddly uneasy slumber; both him and his   
beautiful wife had been unable to sleep soundly for nearly a week. He   
sat up slowly, aware that the room was extremely dark, with the shades   
drawn and all lights off. His breath caught in his throat.  
Sailor Pluto stood at the side of their bed, her knowing red eyes   
staring deep into his soul. Her face was rather pale and her manner   
aloof as she gazed at the brunette man. "Terry..." she breathed,   
lowering her face to his and pressing their lips together lightly.   
"I love you..."  
He furrowed his brow, and he jumped from bed immediately, groping  
for the pair of discarded sweat pants on the floor and pulling them   
quickly over his orange boxer shorts. "Oh, Hell no," he sputtered   
quickly, tying the drawstring and beginning to grab a jacket from the   
nearby closet. "I'm not letting you leave me..."  
She caught his arm before he could reach for his favorite green   
coat. "Terry," she said calmly, using her other hand to turn his head so  
that she could look into his eyes, "I have seen this many times. And   
each time, it is painful for me." Sailor Pluto pressed her deliciously   
red lips together and shook her head slowly. A single tear trickled down  
her cheek. "But I am needed the past."   
"But... Sets..." He pulled his gaze from hers and blinked away the  
tears that threatened to well up in his bright green eyes. "I..."  
She sighed audibly. "Terrence, before I met you, I had never truly  
loved a soul." She once again caught his chin with a gloved hand and   
slowly turned his face toward hers. This time, though, she was much   
gentler, and the expression she wore was sweeter. "Terrence, I am Sailor  
Pluto. And that overrules the fact I am Susan Chiba. Do you understand?"  
Nodding wordlessly, he looked at her. For a little over three   
years, he had worked side-by-side with Sailor Pluto on tiny, trivial   
matters related to Time. And he had helped train their children to rule  
the Gate of Time if any accident befell either or both of them. But he   
had never really looked at Sailor Pluto. She was basked in some sort of   
powerful eternal glow, and her face--though devoid of all emotion right   
now--seemed to have a certain glistening of knowing. Not of wisdom or of  
knowledge... But of knowing.   
The dams burst as Terrence wrapped his arms around Pluto's waist   
and buried his head in the crook of her neck, the tears trailing freely  
over his cheeks. "Sets..." he whispered, his voice and body both shaking  
violently. "I love you so much..."  
"I know," responded Sailor Pluto in a sweet, understanding tone.   
Her hands slowly smoothed his hair as he cried into her fuku. "I love   
you, too..."  
There was a long pause as he glanced up and, wiping tears from his  
cheeks, pulled her close to his body. They kissed softly, refusing to   
give into the pent-up passion within their bodies. The woes of the world  
seemed to melt away as they held each other, sharing the last sweet   
embrace for what could be eternity.  
Reluctantly, she pulled away from him and stared into the precious  
green eyes that had enchanted her so long ago. Her breath was ragged as   
she raised a hand to her face and wiped away a tear. "Sailor Pluto does   
not cry," she reflected, a slight smile touching her lips as she   
examined the tiny damp spot on her fingertip. "But Susan does..."  
He gave her one last, tight hug, pressing his lips desperately to   
the soft flesh below one of her ears. "You'll come back for me, won't   
you?"  
With a slight shiver, she stepped back and nodded slightly.   
"Eternity was lonely before I met you," she murmured. "But after knowing  
you, I don't want to live through eternity without you." She smiled the   
tiniest bit and closed her wine-colored eyes. Her Time Key appeared, its  
garnet orb sparkling brightly, and she took a deep breath. "I will   
forever love you, Terrence Chiba."   
There was a blinding flash of red, and he was forced to shield his  
face from its sheer brilliance. And, upon opening his eyes, he found the  
room void of any life beyond his own.   
Taking a deep breath, he sat down on the edge of the bed, which   
suddenly seemed much larger than it had been a few, short minutes ago.  
No rational thoughts entered his mind. All he could tell his body to do  
was breathe, and even that took concentration. It was as if half his  
being had unexpectedly faded into darkness. And, in a way, it had.  
The bedroom door creaked open, accompanied by the sound of tiny,   
soft footfalls. He didn't need to look up to identify the visitors.  
With a sigh, Aeris climbed up onto the bed, leaning up against her  
father. Following her was Peter, his red eyes large and nervous.   
"She's gone, isn't she?" asked the little boy, brushing a strand   
of brown hair from his face.  
Terrence only managed to nod.  
"Are we to assume that she's not going to return?" questioned his   
precocious daughter as she pulled her knees to her chest beneath her   
long flowered nightgown.   
He glanced at the child, her multicolored eyes seemingly lifeless   
as she gazed at him, waiting for the answer. Tears sparkled in the   
corners of those frightening eyes, and Terrence smiled slightly. "Come   
here, you two," he sighed, wrapping an arm around each of their waists.   
Pluto's words still stung in his mind as he hugged the twins close. "To   
your mother, it doesn't matter how far away she is from us. She will   
return."  
"You promise?" requested Peter innocently, staring up at his   
father.  
The man smiled. Sailor Pluto couldn't spend eternity alone...could  
she?  
"Promise," vowed he. "Promise."  
************  
  
Her footfalls echoed as she stepped carefully down the steep stone  
stairs, her way lit by only a small penlight.  
"This is wrong," muttered a feminine voice from near the floor,   
her tone extremely bitter. "If Reeny caught us..."  
"How's she gonna catch us, Auntie?" questioned a cherry voice.   
"We're going into the vaults in the middle of the night! The only way   
she could catch us is if..."  
The beam of light flew to illuminate the glossy black fur of the   
tiny kitten. "Hush, Carina," insisted the human, her young voice strong   
but soft as she adjusted the position of a thick notebook in her arms.   
"If they hear you, they'll investigate."  
Snorting, Diana stuck her head in the patch of brightness.   
"Ambriel, how stupid do you think Reeny is?" she questioned quickly,   
glaring at the child. "She's not an idiot, though God knows she acts   
like one..."  
With a sigh, the redheaded girl continued down the stairs, her   
gray eyes darting about the tiny stone stairwell. Cobwebs and spider   
webs dangled from the rough wooden banister and from the walls   
themselves. The air was damp and musty--not a scent that she   
particularly enjoyed--but, for some reason, the girl felt at peace. The   
knowledge that books of eternal wisdom were laying innocently on   
shelves, so within her reach... The mere thought made her heart take   
off, racing. Ambriel had to physically restrain herself from dashing   
down the steps by clutching onto the handrail.   
After what could have been either an eternity or a few, fleeting   
moments, she felt the floor beneath her. Solid. No more steps.   
Instinctively, the girl pressed a hand against the wall, finding a light  
switch without searching. She flicked it into the on position.  
Lamps exploded into life, bathing the room in a bright glow. It   
took her bright eyes a few seconds to adjust, and, once they did, she   
felt a smile touch her placid face.  
There were shelves. Endless seas of stone shelves surrounded her,   
no doubt dating back to when Crystal Palace had first been built.   
They were stacked with leather-bound books, each spine blank except for   
a date. In the midst of the shelves was one great stone table, its   
surface coated liberally with dust. She stepped forward, pink slippers   
kicking up clouds of dust as she made her way to the enormous table. It   
was taller, taller even than she, and Ambriel found herself standing on   
her tiptoes just to place her notebook atop it. Dust rose in giant   
billows above her head, but she didn't try to push it away. She smiled   
instead.  
"This is the most amazing place I have ever seen," breathed the   
child, staring around the room. "It's so full of knowledge... I can just  
feel the Prophecy drawing me in."  
"It's the Gift that draws you in," Diana informed her, leaping   
atop the massive table and frowning at the dust. "The Gift gives you the  
power."  
Ambriel cocked her head to one side and looked at the cat. "Gift?"  
she repeated, confused.  
The black kitten joined her aunt on the table, laying in the thick  
dust and smiling slightly. "It's the power to understand Prophecy!" she   
chimed in happily. "I've been studying."  
Rolling her eyes, the adult Guardian knocked the smaller cat   
upside the head. "Hush, Carina," she shot coolly, focusing her attention  
on Ambriel, who had now gone over to the shelves and was scrutinizing   
the book spines. "The Gift," she continued, "is very rare. It allows one  
to pick out important passages of Prophecy and unlock them."  
The girl whirled around. "Unlock?" she echoed.  
"To change it," explained the pink cat. "And to make it reality."   
She sighed and pawed open the cover of the notebook, flipping through   
the pages leisurely as she continued. "Reeny is frightened because the   
last Angel of the Moon was murdered by her own people in a terrible   
riot. Wise scholars say it was because they lived in fear of what would   
happen had she unlocked certain parts of Prophecy."  
"Certain parts?" repeated the redheaded girl. But Diana offered no  
more insight and she shrugged the wonder off and turned back to the   
books. "And, anyway, I'm not planning on unlocking any Prophecy."  
The cat sighed once again. "That's just the thing," she told the   
child carefully. "You may have to in order to save the..." She trailed   
off, her red eyes growing wide as she read and re-read a long paragraph   
in the book. "What is this, Ambriel?"  
Pulling a book from one of the lower shelves, the girl walked over  
to the table and clambered onto a single wooden stool that stood,   
lonely, next to the great dusty stone. "What's what?" she asked, placing  
the tome atop the table and turning to face the cat. "Did I get a   
passage wrong?" she questioned carefully, pulling a pencil from the   
spiral spine of the notebook. "Cause I can fix it..."  
"I mean about your translation of this passage," the cat   
responded, concerned. "'The Training Timekeepers will be trained no   
longer by their Mistress.'" Diana licked her chops nervously. "That   
would mean that's something is going to happen to Pluto."  
"Well, something is going to happen," Ambriel retorted, cocking   
her head to one side. "According to the other Scouts, Sailor Pluto is   
going to travel into the past to get Chibi-Moon and take her to the   
20th century."  
Red eyes went wide as the Guardian stared at the young child.   
"When is this to happen?"  
Carina sniggered. "'When Uranus and Neptune celebrate a solemn   
memory,'" she read from the page. "That would be after their anniversary  
of becoming Scouts, right?"  
"Which would have been two weeks ago," whispered the pink cat in   
a soft voice.   
Ambriel was about to ask what the 'big deal' was when footfalls   
echoed on the stone steps behind her. She gasped and whirled around,   
gray eyes wide.  
"What do you think you're doing?" hollered an angry Princess   
Reeny, her hands on her hips as she glared disdainfully at the child.   
"I TOLD you no more Prophecy!"  
The girl hopped off the stool and quickly stumbled backward,   
pressing her back against the giant stone slab. "But... The Queen   
said..."   
Snorting, the young woman seized the large brown volume of   
Prophecy in one hand and the thick, script-filled notebook in the other.  
"I don't care what my mother said," she informed her child, trying to   
ignore the fearful tears that welled within the bright gray eyes.   
"You're not studying this."  
"But..."  
She shook her head slowly, pink pigtails softly sweeping the sides  
of her face with stray strands. "Ambriel, this is for your own good."   
She held out a hand to the girl.  
Tears fell freely down pale pink cheeks as the child took a shaky   
step forward and glared up at the woman who she called mother. A lump   
rose in her throat as she straightened her spine and stared at the adult  
in awe. Then, she took a long, shuddering breath and her lower lip   
quivered. "You are no Princess..." she breathed, pressing past the woman  
and thundering up the steps.   
Lisa and Helios, who were coming down to the vaults after Reeny,   
concerned, watched in awe as the child pushed past them. "Ambriel?"   
questioned the handmaiden, blue eyes staring after the child.  
From her seat upon the table, Diana sighed and glared at the   
Princess of the Earth. "You really fouled it up this time, Reeny," she   
stated in a dark tone. "Whatever respect that child had for you just   
flew out the window."  
"Shut up," groaned Reeny, shaking her head as she turned around to  
look at her prince and her blonde friend. "Just shut up."  
************  
  
"Arthur's problem," he told the big golden retriever while typing   
furiously, "was that he underestimated the Sailor Scouts. He assumed   
that one monster would keep them busy."  
The dog yawned and laid on the floor. "Was Arthur wrong in   
assuming that?" he asked, tone not unsuspecting. "They don't seem all   
that tough to me."  
Seth pushed his glasses up on his nose and turned away from the   
computer screen, brown eyes focusing on the dog. "That was exactly what   
he thought, Calico," he explained, crossing his hands upon his lap. "And  
look what he got for it."  
"So what if Arthur was about weak as a frozen over Hell and just   
as pristine?" drawled the dog languidly. "The point is that, as time   
goes on, we become stronger."  
Sighing, the man turned back to his work. "You just don't get it,"  
he pressed, smoothing the sleeves of his black uniform. "But you will  
someday."  
Calico rolled his brown eyes. "You're right about one thing," he   
mumbled. "I DON'T get it." Stretching, he attempted to catch a glimpse   
of the screen. "But who cares? What's the plan?"  
He beamed, showing tiny white fangs. "I'll send out three monsters  
in quick succession," he explained, hitting a button on the keyboard. Up  
popped a tiny purple wolf-shaped graphic, and it began chasing super-  
deformed Sailor Scouts all across the screen. "I call this my 'Sailor   
Scouts Get It' program." He chuckled as the wolf bit off the head of one  
of the Sailor Scouts. "Cute, eh?"  
With a shake of his head, Calico glanced away from the screen and   
busied himself with standing up. "The program is utterly repulsive," he   
commented with a shudder. "Granted, if your plan works, that will be   
what occurs--"  
"Undoubtedly," cut in Seth, grinning evilly as he said it.   
"But it's not exactly a great thing to see, graphically, on a   
computer screen."  
The man just rolled his eyes and closed down the program, an   
offended expression slowly touching his face. "Well, that's just dandy,"  
he pouted, crossing his arms over his chest. "Don't appreciate my six   
hours of code-writing... Just don't..."  
Sighing, the dog laid his chin on the desktop and studied the map   
of Crystal Tokyo, focusing mostly on the three large purple 'x' marks--  
one on Tokyo's biggest graveyard, one on a small school in a rather   
ritzy neighborhood, and the last on Crystal Palace, itself. "When,   
exactly, does this plan go into effect?"  
"Tomorrow at ten a.m." Seth beamed, his fangs glistening in the   
computer light. "The three wolves will appear within ten minutes of each  
other, and the Scouts will be forced to scatter. And then..." He took   
his fist and slammed it into the palm of his other hand. "WHAM!" he   
exclaimed loudly, voice filling the computer room. "No more Sailor   
Scouts!"  
"You hope," muttered Calico, claws clicking on the tile floor as   
he walked toward the open door. "After all, Ginnie will downright maul   
you if you screw up."  
He considered this as the dog walked out, turning his brown eyes   
to focus on the map before him. Ginnie WOULD certainly hurt him... In   
fact, it would probably be better for him to get killed by the Sailor   
Scouts, rather than to let Ginnie have him...  
Suddenly very cold, Seth pulled a blanket from the back of the   
chair and pulled it around his shoulders, trying to pull his attention   
away from his possibly impending doom. After all, Arthur was a boor. He   
was no smarter than that bulb of a man, Kevin. But he, Seth... He was   
stronger than those two. His plan would work. He would kill the Sailor   
Scouts and take over the world in the name of his queen...  
Wouldn't he?  
************  
  
The trio of adults stood silently in the doorway, watching a   
certain little girl with bright red hair sleep. Not one of them moved or  
even thought to; the moment was special and tranquil.   
Pulling the door shut, the Princess of the Earth let out a long   
sigh. "To think of all that girl is going through," she thought aloud,   
cinnamon eyes both sad and maternal as she studied the gold doorknob.   
"I don't think that I will EVER complain about being Princess again."  
"There's a promise that will last a full hour," smiled Lisa, her   
head bowed as she stared at the ground, face emotionless as she kidded   
the young woman. She, too, sighed, the melancholy sound echoing through   
the high-ceilinged hallway.  
Helios let a frown cross his pale face as he watched both his   
maiden and the woman that could easily be considered Ambriel's second   
mother (and partner in crime) sigh miserably and let their usually   
cheery smiles droop into nothingness. He wrinkled his nose and ran a   
hand through his silver-white hair.  
"We cannot stand to be divided," he reminded them sternly,   
pressing his thin pink lips together in thought. "If we are to make a   
decision, it must be one. But let me reiterate that Serenity said..."  
"My mother is a fool!" roared Reeny, suddenly animated as she   
glared at Elysion's high priest. "She knows what the Gift can do to   
people, and she is an idiot to think..."  
The blonde's head snapped up and a dark, unforgiving scowl   
appeared on her face. "Better to be an idiot than a spoiled princess!"   
she spat, her blue eyes lowering toward the younger woman. "Ambriel's   
Gift for prophecy is just that--a gift! If she can understand things   
that no one else can..."  
"Why do you think that no one understands, Lisa?" the pink-haired   
one shot back, tone cold and low. "It's because it KILLS. No one with   
the Gift has..."  
"I have the Gift."  
Both women froze in mid-fight to glance at the pale-faced young   
man who stood nearly motionless behind them. His sweet azure eyes were   
both innocent and knowing, as though a wave of timelessness had washed   
over him. A certain far-off expression was masked by some sort of soft   
smile, and he seemed to be in two places at once.  
Reeny gulped. "Wh... What did you... You have the..."  
"I have the Gift," repeated Helios softly, his gaze focusing on   
his beloved. "Compared to Ambriel's Gift, it is nothing, but I have   
lived all this time with the strange and beautiful ability to read   
prophecy."  
Lisa bit her tongue. "What is the Gift?" she asked softly, cocking  
her head to one side. "I don't understand it..."  
With a slight, distant smile, the young man leaned against the   
marble wall of the hallway and shrugged slightly. "The Gift is the   
unique ability to comprehend prophecy," he clarified for the puzzled   
handmaiden. "Few have it, which is why it's so frightening that Ambriel   
does."  
His pink-haired girlfriend nodded solemnly. "But with the Gift   
comes also the ability to CHANGE prophecy," she stressed, shaking her   
head. "If I were to take that book and replace the word 'Guardian' with   
'Luna' every time it appeared, all we would have was a bunch of cross-  
outs and a messy book." She paused, staring up at the skylights in the   
ceiling. "But, if that little girl was to do it..."  
"The world could end," finished the blonde woman in a distant   
voice, her face pale and gaunt. "I see your point."  
"It gets worse," continued the Princess, sighing miserably. "In   
the past, the Gifted have been..." She glanced at Lisa and then lowered   
her head. "Killed."  
Silence filled the area as the trio stood, motionless, held up in   
their own sort of vicious circle. The Gift could be dangerous because it  
could end the world... But the Gift was special and rare... Queen   
Serenity had said that Ambriel could study prophecy... The study of   
prophecy required the Gift... The Gift could be dangerous because...  
Sighing, Reeny wrinkled her brow and then pounded a fist on the   
wall. "She can't study it!" she yelled in a frustrated, restrained   
voice. "It's just too dangerous, even with Diana's guidance! She's a   
child, and she shouldn't... She shouldn't..." Red eyes started to well   
up with tears.  
Helios gathered the Princess into his arms and kissed the top of   
her head. "Maybe she's right," he mentioned to Lisa in a soft voice.   
"That child is... And I just don't know..."  
The blonde let herself nod slowly. "I suppose she's right," she   
commented solemnly. "Ambriel's a child, still, and children need to have  
their childhood."  
"No more prophecy?" questioned the pink-haired one, her voice   
muffled by her beloved's shirt.  
With a slight, sad smile, Helios held her closer. "No more   
prophecy for the Angel."  
************  
  
The Ten'ou-Chiba-Hartford dining room was, as it was every   
Saturday morning, a room bustling with activity and filled with the   
noise that went along with living in a household with ten people. Dishes  
crashed against cups as pans slammed into one another, creating a   
clatter that nearly deafened all the present family members, and that   
was without the consideration that people were yelling over the din.   
And Haley, who sat between her aqua-haired mother and her   
obnoxious little female cousin, was growing increasingly nervous. No,   
nervous really wasn't the right word for it--it was more that she was   
slowly getting more and more annoyed. Yes. Annoyed WAS the word for it.   
Since Terrence had announced the fact that Susan--the one person who  
made the house livable with her mysterious, almost sentimental outlook   
on life--had departed for the past, she'd felt a strange feeling of   
anger boiling in the pit of her stomach. It was as if, all of a sudden,   
her family was unbearable.   
She sighed and, pushing her bangs from her eyes, focused on   
pushing her forkful of eggs around on her plate. Across the table from   
her, Delaney was starting to fuss loudly, and Hannah was fretting over   
the little raven-haired child, trying to calm her nerves. Terry was   
laughing with his son at the far end of the table, seemingly unaware of   
the empty seat to his left. Aeris was eating in silence, a first, which   
would have been a miracle were she not also elbowing her cousin in the   
side every few moments... It was most likely accidental, but Haley was   
starting to inch farther to her right to get away from the child. And   
then, there were her mothers and Brian, who were all gabbing about the   
big concert coming up at Crystal Music Academy.   
"Could someone pass me a roll?" asked the young woman softly,   
crossing her legs under the table after accidentally kicking Aeris.   
No one heard her, and the dull roar that echoed through the room   
continued.  
A spoonful of baby oatmeal flew across the table just then, and it  
was all Haley could do to put a hand up before the gray-brown goop   
smacked her in the face. She lowered her eyes at her sister and niece.   
Delaney cooed loudly, grinning her almost sick, toothless smile,   
and her mother smiled sheepishly and passed her napkin across the table,  
blushing a bit. "Sorry about that, Haley," she apologized while focusing  
on trying to get the baby to actually eat her breakfast. "I didn't know   
that was going to happen."  
"Obviously," muttered the brunette, rolling her teal eyes.   
"Incoming!" hollered Terry suddenly.  
Haley watched in a cross between horror and extreme annoyance as a  
small brown roll literally flew across the middle of the table, followed  
closely by a pre-wrapped pad of butter. Her gaze traced after the   
projectiles as her tall blonde parent caught both the bread and butter,   
grinning wolfishly and nodding her thanks to the young man.  
She had not had a good month. Her upper lip was slowly pulled   
between her teeth as she deposited Hannah's napkin on her plate and   
clenched her fists around the armrests of her chair. She'd gotten into a  
school, far away. Fine. That could be dealt with. She'd been dumped by   
the man she loved. Alright, so that wasn't exactly fortunate, but she   
could deal. But now, her aunt had left, and she'd been beamed with baby   
food, and...  
"THAT'S IT!" roared Haley, kicking her chair backwards and jetting  
straight to her feet, balling her fists as she glowered at the eight   
people around the table.  
Michelle furrowed her brow and stared up at the angry young woman.  
"What's 'it,' dear?"  
Groaning, she took the napkin back off her plate and threw it down  
for emphasis. "This entire HOUSE, that's what!" she yelled fervently.   
"I've had enough! Here I live with two annoying mothers, a sister and   
her STUPID family, obnoxious genius cousins, and an 'uncle' who's also   
the King's brother..." She was red in the face by this point. "I can't   
take this anymore! With Susan--the NORMAL ONE--gone..."  
"Sets? Normal?" came a voice from the far end of the table.  
"...I QUIT!"  
There was silence in the room as she stood, fuming and taking deep  
breaths, in front of all of them. Everyone in the room with the possible  
exception of eight-month-old Delaney had offended expressions on their   
faces. Even Brian, the most laid-back person that the young woman had  
ever met, seemed a bit put off by the whole ordeal.  
And then, softly, Alexandra spoke. "You...quit?" she echoed,   
confused.  
Haley screamed. It wasn't a word, or even a phrase--she just   
screamed. The whole room seemed to shake as she let it all out and,   
still angry, stormed out of the dining room, slamming the door behind   
her.   
"What's wrong with her?" asked Peter softly, picking at a pancake.  
Brian leaned back in his seat and ran a hand through his head of   
short blonde hair. "The question," he retorted, "is if she's serious."  
Laughing, the blonde woman leaned back in her chair and laced her   
hands together behind her neck. "If I know my daughter--and I do,"   
responded Alex casually, "she would never--"  
The door to the dining room popped back open, and a still-fuming   
Haley stuck her head in. "If you want me, I'll be at Phoebe's!" The door  
slammed once again.  
"--move out..." finished the woman softly, her face suddenly void   
of all color. She gulped and ran a finger around the collar of her   
shirt. "Though, I could be wrong..."  
"Damn straight," agreed Terrence, nodding. "DAMN straight."  
************  
  
'If you ever need somebody...'  
The words echoed in her mind, even now.   
'If you ever need to talk to someone who's not a part of your   
goofy family...'  
A vow from a full year before, after she'd been turned down by   
Tokyo University and three different, smaller schools, it was.  
'Just come and knock on my door, Haley.'  
She'd been upset, and life had been hectic in the Ten'ou-Chiba-  
Hartford household. As usual.  
'I've always got an open room.'  
No one had really cared that she was alive, and it had been during  
one of the many 'off' times with Eric.  
'And I'm a good listener--sarcastic commentary or not.'  
So she'd packed up an overnight bag and gone to stay with one of   
her closest friends. No shame in that.  
'And, when you're ready to move out, come here. Please? It's   
lonely, Haley. Very lonely.'  
She raised one fist to the smooth wood of the front door, part of   
her very willing to knock and the other part very, very afraid. Her   
breath caught in her throat as she stared at the door and then at the   
suitcase in her other hand. Could she actually leave her family behind?   
Could she abandon them as such?  
Once, then twice, she rapped on the door. Someone called out the   
word 'coming' loudly from inside the nice blue-painted ranch. The young   
woman took a deep breath in through her nose and tightened the grip on   
her suitcase. What was she doing?  
'Cause, Haley, if I had to pick the Scout I was closest to...   
Well, it would probably be you or Alice. I don't know why... Maybe it's   
just that you two have sort of understood how it feels to come from a   
family that's, in its own way, not a real family at all...'  
"Haley?" questioned a voice. The brunette snapped from her reverie  
to find herself staring into a pair of bright, if icy, blue eyes. Blue-  
black hair, crimped from spending all together too much time in braids   
rimmed a pale, grown-up face.   
Phoebe cocked her head to one side and looped a strand of messy   
hair behind one of her ears. "Are you okay, Haley?" she asked softly,   
observing the blood-shot teal eyes and the white knuckled-fist that held  
the suitcase. "You look like you could burst out crying any moment..."  
"I've done enough crying," responded the older teen, strolling   
through the door and standing in the small foyer of the Urawa household.  
"I just..." She sighed and shook her head slowly. "I don't know   
anymore."  
Shutting the door and circling her friend, a concerned expression   
on her face, the younger teen wiped her hands on the red apron she wore   
and smiled gently. "You know that you're always welcome here," she   
prompted considerately. "No matter how bad things are at home..."  
The brunette dropped her luggage on the floor and rushed forward,   
throwing her arms around Phoebe's neck. "Eric dumped me and then Susan   
moved out!" she sobbed, burying her head in the girl's shoulder. "And I   
just can't take it anymore!"  
With a smile and a slight chuckle, the blue-haired girl smoothed   
her friend's hair. "You're always welcome, Haley... No matter what's   
going on in your life, you can always have the guestroom..."  
She looked up reluctantly and wiped tears from her teal eyes,   
staring at her friend in doubt. "Are you sure... Won't Marie get mad..."  
"You had to come here because you knew I'd defend you!" chortled   
Phoebe, picking up the suitcase with one arm and wrapping the other   
around her companion's waist. "Besides, it'll be nice to have some new   
blood in this place... I'm getting SO sick of Orion's bellyaching..."  
Laughing and smiling together, the duo made their way down the   
hall.  
************  
  
"Richard Umino, right?" asked the balding, cheery-looking man with  
the wolfish grin as he sorted through a stack of papers. "You must be   
the newest member of this fine educational paragon, Tokyo University."   
He extended a hand to the young man, the grin growing wider. "Welcome   
to Business 101."  
Smiling gently, Richard accepted the handshake and bowed   
slightly. "Pleased to meet you, sir," he greeted. "I'm sure this class   
will be just what I'm looking for."  
With a laugh, the man retracted his hand. "You're modest, too,   
you know that?" he went on with a raised eyebrow. "The grades you got on  
the entrance exams could frighten even the world's toughest scholars."   
The smile was back. "You did well, young man."  
Richard pressed his lips together and blushed, saying his parting   
words to the jolly teacher and taking a seat in one of the many empty   
auditorium chairs. Finally, he was here. College.  
The decision to take placement exams had not been an easy one.   
Though he'd been out of high school for nearly two years, the death of   
his parents and his constant loneliness had plagued him so long that   
he'd had no desire to become part of the rush for higher education. So,   
he'd sat alone in his family apartment, living off the money--no small   
amount, it was--that his parents left behind and occasionally buying   
thick novels and silly videos to keep himself busy.  
But then, Lyra had moved in and started hinting at the fact he   
needed to be better educated. She whined at him, pleaded with him, and   
the overall effect was obvious--he'd taken the placement tests. And--  
Ta-da!--he was suddenly on Tokyo University's most wanted list. And   
right in time to sign up for some of the newer classes.   
So he wrote "undeclared major" in the appropriate blanks and   
decided to take a few business classes. After all, wasn't business   
important for a future ruler of the Earth to know?  
The bell rang and his teacher stood up and walked in front of his   
own desk, flashing the animalistic grin toward the entire class. Then,   
he glanced at his watch.  
"I happen to know," he addressed all thirty-odd students, "that   
we're missing one. She took a class from me last semester and was always  
late, SO..."  
Suddenly, the door burst open and there was a blur of blue school   
uniform and pink--Richard did a double take. PINK?--hair. "Sorry I'm   
late, Mr. Johnson," apologized the whirlwind of a young woman, bowing   
quickly toward the teacher. "I got...umm...detained..."  
Mr. Johnson rolled his eyes. "Just go sit down, Princess..."  
PRINCESS? Richard felt his blue eyes widen and his jaw drop   
without permission. There was only one nineteen-year-old, pink-haired,   
always-late girl in all of Crystal Tokyo who would be called Princess.   
Reeny took up a seat a row in front of the redhead, glancing half-  
heartedly at the man behind her, not really seeing who he was. She   
brushed a strand of pink hair from her red eyes and leaned back in the   
seat, tugging a notebook from her book bag.   
Mr. Johnson smiled up at the class. "I would like you all to pull   
out something to write on. It's note time."  
There were various groans from the group. No one, obviously,   
wanted to take notes on the first day of a new class.   
And, just as the teacher was about to start the class, the pink-  
haired young woman whirled around and stared right at the man, observing  
everything from the silver-rimmed glasses to the bright cobalt eyes to   
the slightly messy red hair. Her jaw slowly dropped. And, then:  
"RICHARD! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"   
************  
  
Celeste sighed and kicked at a stone, meandering pointlessly down   
the dirt path with the two other children. "Why are we walking through a  
graveyard, you guys?" she asked quietly, sticking her hands in the   
pockets of her white jackets. "This is silly."  
"It is NOT silly," countered the green-black kitten from her spot   
leading the group. "I felt something."  
The silver cat made a face. "It's still silly, Ara," sighed she,   
wrinkling her little pink nose. "Lyra and Richard have catnip waiting   
for me back home."  
Ara rolled her red eyes.  
"Well, I do not comprehend this nonsense any more well than   
Celeste does," spoke up Aeris, walking away from the group and plopping   
down onto a park bench. "And I feel that all this is exactly as I said   
it was--nonsense."  
"You say that NOW..." muttered her Guardian dryly.  
Sighing, the tan kitten sat down in the middle of the path,   
studying a few nearby gravestones half-heartedly. "Are you SURE you felt  
something, Ara?" he inquired skeptically. "After all, it doesn't make   
sense..."  
She turned on him, glare fierce. "You say that now," she growled,   
"but what do you know!" She then whirled about to look over at the three  
Chibi-Scouts, who were all seated together on the park bench. "I had a   
gut feeling that something bad was going to happen at this very place.   
I had..."  
She was cut off by the low tolling of a bell. It rang, loud and   
clear, its somber tone cutting across the graveyard.  
"Ten already?" Celeste questioned, stretching and rising slowly to  
her feet. "I promised my mom I'd be home by ten-fifteen. I'd better..."   
She gasped involuntarily. "Uh-oh..."  
The cats all stared at the girl in awe, as did her two friends.   
"What?"  
"I just felt it," she breathed, reaching into her jeans pocket and  
pulling out her yellow and purple transformation stick. "I felt...  
evil..."  
"Told you so," scoffed Ara, tossing her head indignantly.  
Rolling his brown eyes, Galileo looked up at the blonde girl for   
guidance. "You're the leader of the Chibi-Scouts, Celeste. It's your   
call."  
She raised her stick. It sparkled in the spring sunlight.  
"Small Star Galactic Power... Make UP!"  
************  
  
"Evil my ass," muttered Haley, crossing her arms under her chest   
as she walked through the deserted hallways of Crystal Music Academy.   
"You just made that up to impress us, didn't you?"  
Tara rolled her green eyes but didn't respond.  
Sighing, Phoebe elbowed her friend in the ribs. "Shush," she   
commanded, wrinkling her nose as she followed the raven-headed Shinto   
down the hall. "It wasn't just her, you know."  
"And, if you make so much as ONE disparaging comment about me,"   
Orion shot suddenly, glaring at the brunette, "I will claw you half to   
death."  
Haley let out a long breath and placed her hands in her back   
pockets, focusing her attentions down at the scrappy calico cat. "Well,   
I'm not going to whine," she declared stubbornly, making a face. "But I   
don't get how there could be evil in a high school on a Saturday   
morning." She glanced at her watch. "It's barely past ten," she read   
with a sigh, "and there is never anyone here until noon on a   
Saturday..."  
"Hush," hissed the cat unexpectedly, her fur standing on end and   
her green eyes becoming wide. "I can feel it."  
The blue-haired one glanced around, braids whipping at her face.   
"What's 'it'?" she whispered edgily.  
"Evil," responded Tara, running a hand through her short black   
hair. "Somewhere in this building."  
Just then, there was a loud barking sound and a giant, purple wolf  
dog came running down the hall toward the three teens and the cat, its   
white fangs glistening with saliva as it chased toward them.  
"SHIT!" screamed Haley, grabbing an awe-struck Phoebe and pulling   
her out of harm's way. The creature thundered past them. "What the   
Hell..."  
"THIS IS NO TIME FOR SWEARING!" shot Phoebe angrily, wrenching her  
wrist from the older girl's grasp. "There's trouble, and you know what   
that means!"  
From her spot on the floor, Orion smiled slightly. "Time to go,   
Sailor Scouts!" she announced.  
"Phoenix Galactic Power..."  
"Earth Galactic Power..."  
"Comet Galactic Power..."  
"MAKE UP!"  
************  
  
"Is this smart, Your Highness?" asked Ambriel apprehensively, her   
little hands clasped behind her back as she followed the Queen of the   
Earth toward the front gate of Crystal Palace. "I mean, if something bad  
were to happen..."  
"That's what we're here for," supplied Sailor Polaris quickly,   
pushing the girl along a bit.  
Beside her, Sailor Aurora Borealis nodded solemnly. "That way, if   
the Queen's hunch about evil being nearby is right, we can protect her."  
"Just like we have been destined to do," put in Helios sternly,   
reaching for the girl's hand. "But you'll not have to fight..."  
Ambriel kept her hand well out of the man's reach and stared up at  
him with a certain coldness in her gray eyes. "That's to say I don't   
want to fight," she retorted in a heartless tone. "But I would die   
protecting this Earth if I had to..."  
Polaris sighed. "Ambriel, if your mother was here..."  
The redheaded child turned quickly on her heel, stopping to glance  
up at the blonde Sailor Scout. "I have no mother," she stated plainly,   
voice completely void of any emotion. "No one loves a girl such as I..."  
Aurora Borealis glanced at her fellow Scout. They stared at one   
another in confusion.  
And then, a scream shattered the calm of that Saturday morning.  
************  
  
"Now, chapter three will discuss the finer points of economics..."  
Reeny gasped and clutched a hand to her chest, her breathing   
suddenly labored. Her pencil snapped between her fingers. A few students  
turned to glance at her in annoyance before turning back to their notes.  
Suddenly, the pink-haired woman was animated, stuffing papers,   
pencils, and her notebook back into her bag with a certain ferocity that  
alerted even the teacher.  
"Princess?"  
She shook her head and ignored the balding man, but it was Richard  
who caught her attention--or, more specifically, her shoulder. "Reeny,   
are you alright?" he whispered as she froze under his touch. She shook   
her head once again, all the color draining from her face, and sprang to  
her feet, taking off down the row and out of the room as quickly as she  
had rushed in.  
He furrowed his brow and brought the eraser of his pencil to his   
mouth, thinking. Sure, Reeny wasn't exactly the essence of normality,   
but there was definitely something wrong with her, this time. He'd never  
seen her, or any of the girls, for that matter, act so oddly. The only   
action that mimicked her urgency was when one of the Sailor Scouts got   
a locket alert... He stopped breathing momentarily.  
And then, after slapping himself in the forehead, Richard found   
himself faced with the same dire pressure she had been faced with but   
seconds before.  
************  
  
"What IS that thing?" questioned Sailor Chibi-Pluto, resting her   
Time Key on the ground in awe. "I've certainly never seen a creature   
quite like it."  
And it was a very odd creature, indeed. About five feet tall when   
upon all fours, the giant purple dog-wolf looked as though it could   
flatten all three of the Chibi-Scouts with a single step of a giant paw.  
It stood on the dirt path of the graveyard, not twenty feet ahead of   
them, its ravenous fangs seemingly ready to rid them of their lives.  
Nervously, Sailor Chibi-Star pressed her lips together and took a   
deep, shaky breath. "Maybe this wasn't a good idea..." she mumbled   
softly, clasping her hands together in front of her stomach and staring   
at the monster. "We're going to get it..."  
"Fight like a real Scout!" exclaimed little Peter, holding his   
Time Key in white-knuckled fists. "You can't act like a little kid this   
time around!"  
She turned on him. "And why not, you sniffling little...cootie   
carrier?!" she shot back indignantly. "I'm the leader of the Chibi-  
Scouts, anyway, and you're hardly a Scout!"   
Peter was about to respond when his sister pushed between the duo   
and pointed her Key Staff at the wolf. "Bicker later!" she commanded.   
"Right now, THAT'S the problem!"  
The wolf-monster howled, its voice sending purple waves of energy   
flying through the air and turning over gravestones and lampposts. It   
was all the three Chibi-Scouts and their Guardians could do to stay on   
their feet. It turned its crimson, evil eyes toward the Scouts and   
seemed to smile viciously.   
"Attack!" screamed Ara loudly, her high-pitched mew echoing   
through the air. "Kill that dog!"  
Chibi-Pluto pointed her Time Key toward the monster. "Dead..."  
It howled once again, louder than before, and the waves of power   
knocked the trio off their feet. Scattered, they glanced at one another,  
remaining on the ground as the wolf leisurely strolled toward them.   
The brunette furrowed his brow, climbing slowly to his feet. "What  
we need is a distraction!" he declared loudly, picking up his Key.  
"Peter!" chorused the two girls nervously. "You're nuts!"  
He shook his head slowly and paced toward the wolf, which had   
stopped and was staring, almost surprised, at the boy. "Listen up,   
Purina-breath!" the child hollered, swinging his Key from side to side.   
"I'm not going to let you act like this!"  
"PETER!" yelled Chibi-Star, clambering to her feet. "It's   
suicide!"  
The wolf roared and knocked the blonde girl back to the ground   
but, by some miracle or another, the Master of Time in Training managed   
to remain on his feet as the strong energy coursed over and past him.   
"Leave...us...alone..." he moaned, taking a step forward as the   
howling continued.  
"Peter!" screamed his sister, tears streaming down her cheeks.   
He grunted and took another shaky step. "You...monster..."  
Chibi-Star felt herself swoon and was forced to close her eyes as   
tears welled to the surface. "That silly boy..." she whispered to   
herself, almost reverently. "He'll get us all killed yet..."  
"And...I...will...protect...them..."   
At those words, the wolf stopped its howling and stared, almost as  
though it were amazed, at the child. Blinking once, then twice, it   
cocked its head to the side, as though it were welcoming a challenge.  
Peter raised his Time Key and closed his eyes. "DEAD SCREAM!"  
Nothing.  
The wolf seemed to smile as it took a long step forward and   
licked its chops, red eyes staring down at the child. He gulped and   
stumbled backward, suddenly frantic.  
"Starburst Shimmer!" screamed Chibi-Star, rushing forward as she   
attacked. The slivers of razor-sharp stardust rained down on the   
creature, but she ignored the howls of pain and grabbed Peter by the   
wrist, pulling him out of harm's way.  
"Dead Scream!" hollered Chibi-Pluto, smiling as the ball of   
reddish-purple energy erupted from her Garnet Orb and threw the wolf   
across the graveyard and, incidentally, into a small lake. The trio of   
Scouts chased after it, watching with a certain amount of triumph as it   
sank.  
Then, as soon as the bubbling stopped and it appeared that the   
cretin was completely drowned, the girls turned to one another and let   
out a cheer. "We did it!"  
"You did it..." mumbled Peter with a sigh, kicking at the dirt   
path with one of his black tuxedo shoes. "I didn't do squat--"  
"You were very brave!" countered Chibi-Star a bit defensively.   
"If you hadn't stood up to that stupid thing, he would have kept howling  
and we would have died!" She rushed foreword and caught him in a tight   
hug. "You were incredible!"  
Chibi-Pluto tugged reluctantly on her friend's purple skirt. "I   
believe that there is more trouble," she speculated as her colorful eyes  
watched a group of Royal Guard cars zip down the nearby street.   
With a little gasp, the blonde one unclasped the smaller boy and   
stood on her tiptoes to see out to the street. "Those are the ROYAL   
cars, though," she observed with a wrinkle of her nose. "That means..."  
The trio all looked at one another, and then down at the three   
Guardian cats that had just arrived. They all stared at one another for   
a long moment. And then...  
"CRYSTAL PALACE!"   
************  
  
"Damn wolf-dog," mumbled Sailor Phoenix, brushing one of her   
braids away from her face as she watched the giant canine sit on the   
stage of Crystal Music Academy's main theater. "If that thing mars the   
stage, I will kick the shit out of it."  
Sailor Earth's green eyes widened as she stared at the older   
Scout. "Phoenix... You don't...swear..." she stuttered, utterly amazed.  
She tossed her head. "I'm still going to kick the goddamn SHIT out  
of it!" she announced, stepping toward the monster and holding out a   
hand. "Shining..."  
With an almost bored look about it, the wolf let out a long howl.   
Some sort of electricity, however, accompanied said howl, and it was all  
the Scouts could do to scatter before the bolt smashed into the theater   
doors and sent charred wood flying about the room.  
"Mom's going to pitch a fit," muttered Sailor Comet, peeking her   
head up from behind a row of chairs.  
The monster howled once again, this time sending the bolt flying   
toward the lights above them. Glass shattered and the sockets sorted   
out, basking the room in an eerie darkness.  
Sighing, Sailor Earth squinted and rose slowly to her feet. "This   
is NOT good," she mumbled with a slight sigh, trying to focus on the   
purple-gray wolf-creature in the relative darkness. "We're doomed."  
"You're telling me," mumbled Phoenix, making a face. "I can't see   
that THING, and now I'm supposed to attack it?"  
There was another howl, and a bolt of electricity lit the room for  
a brief moment, casting strange shadows about the three Scouts before   
it rammed into a wall. They all looked at one another in doubt. "Any   
ideas?" questioned the brunette.  
Sighing, Phoenix raised a hand. "Shining DAWN!" she screamed. A   
giant ball of orange light appeared high in the room, hovering above   
them. It cast some light on the group--not exactly an impressive amount,  
but it was enough to see both the other Scouts and the monster.  
"What are we supposed to do?" asked Comet softly, looping a strand  
of hair behind her ear. "Why don't you let that ball fall?"  
"Attack!" screamed Orion from her place at their feet, forgotten   
until this point in time. "She's OBVIOUSLY holding that ball of...sun...  
errrrr, light...erm..." The calico made a face and then shook it off.   
"Well, she's OBVIOUSLY holding it there for you to see by!"  
The blue-haired Scout was only able to grunt in response.  
"Oh, well then..." Sailor Comet cleared her throat and stretched   
out her arms at a leisurely place, ignoring the fact that the wolf was   
watching with intent interest and also ignoring the fact that Phoenix's   
ball was starting to waver.  
Earth sighed. "TSUNAMI!" she announced, letting water erupt from   
the palms of her hands and wash over the wolf, knocking him into the   
back wall of the stage area. She wiped her damp gloves on her skirt and   
then turned slowly toward her friend, who was glaring.  
"You interrupted me," mumbled Comet, raising a hand idly to the   
skies. "You OBVIOUSLY don't understand how much concentration in takes   
to..."  
"COMET!" yelled Phoenix through gritted teeth, her icy eyes   
glaring at the ranting brown-haired one.   
Flushing, the oldest of the trio sighed and balled her open hand   
into a fist. "FIERY CRATER!"  
The wolf roared in pain as her attack pounded into him, followed   
closely by the ball of orange light. It suddenly disappeared in a flash   
of bright purple light.  
There was a slight tinkling sound, and the cat on the ground   
sighed. "I'll bet dollars to doughnuts that the monster reverted into a   
tiny purple ball." She shook her head and took off toward the stage.  
Standing in the dark, Sailor Phoenix furrowed her brow. "But now   
what?" she asked softly, staring.  
"Crystal Palace," the cat called to them, her voice near the front  
of the room. "I felt a foreboding presence near there, and I will wager   
ANYTHING that a wolf's running around up there."  
"Even your smart-ass attitude?" muttered Comet.  
Orion's sigh echoed through the theater. "I HEARD that."  
************  
  
Encircling Neo-Queen Serenity were a few dozen guards, all   
frantically trying to hold her, Helios, and Ambriel back as the two   
Sailor Scouts fought against the wolf-monster without much help.  
"I'm the ANGEL of the Moon!" argued the little girl, kicking at   
one of the burly guards who fought to hold her behind the gate. "I have   
to fight!"  
"Your superiors will hear about this!" roared an angry Queen, her   
blue eyes hateful toward the group of men. "I am your Queen, and you are  
IGNORING an order!"  
The most intimidating of the men, a large blonde with tiny brown   
slits for eyes, shook his head. "I take my orders from the King and   
Princess themselves," he informed the blonde woman dryly. "No one   
else..."  
Serenity rolled her eyes and was about to respond when a sound   
caused her to gasp.  
It was scream from one of the three kitchen maids who had first   
seen the monster, who were gathered in a cluster near the guards. Then  
came another, higher-pitched scream from beyond the gates, and everyone   
craned their necks to see what was going on.  
Outside the massive quartz gates of Crystal Palace, both Sailors   
Aurora Borealis and Polaris were lying on the ground, their fukus   
slightly browned. Looming over them stood the monster, smoke pouring   
from his nostrils and fire shooting from his mouth.   
Polaris groaned and tried to get up slowly, her legs wobbly on the  
ground. A bit of blood trailed down her leg, no doubt coming from her   
not-yet-healed stitches on her knee.  
This was too much for Ambriel. Sticking a single hand in her   
pocket, she raised her transformation stick high. "Angel Moon Galactic   
Power..."  
"Stop that girl!" yelled the blonde Royal Guard, completely caught  
off guard. "We have direct orders not to let the child fight..."  
"MAKE UP!"  
As the group of huge men dove for the child, who was now floating   
a being wrapped with sparkling white ribbons, Serenity pressed past them  
and ran toward the gates. All three girlish kitchen maids let out   
shrieks and tried to detain the white-garbed woman, who ignored them and  
ran toward the fallen Scouts. Her face was masked with both fear and   
anger as she stepped forward.  
And then, a voice rang out.  
"Stop right there!" commanded someone from atop the high quartz   
wall. "You've hurt two of my friends, bullied a bunch of poor women, and  
caused no end of trouble!" Neo-Sailor Moon jumped down and stood beside   
her mother, pink pigtails blowing in the breeze. "And now, in the name   
of the Moon..."  
"We'll punish you!" finished a male voice, and the Starlit Prince   
bounded up beside his destined love, who was still trying to stand on   
her shaky legs.   
Sailor Moon made a face. "That's my line, pretty boy," she   
grumbled, glaring daggers at the young man. "First, you show up at MY   
school, and now you steal MY lines... What next?"  
The monster howled loudly, shooting fire at the two standing   
Scouts, the young man, and the Queen of the Earth. They all shrieked and  
dove out of the way, but not before being hit with the powerful flash of  
fire.   
"Your Highness!" screamed little Angel Moon, fluttering up to the   
group as they were all thrown against the quartz wall. "Sailor Scouts!"  
Turning slowly toward the child, the wolf cocked its head, red   
eyes confused. It didn't attack, but it just stared at the child, almost  
thoughtfully, as though the mere idea of a little girl--dressed as an   
angel--coming after him was amusing.  
But Angel Moon didn't stop flying. Instead, she stuck out her   
hands, the palms pointing to the creature, and screamed. "ANGELIC GLOW!"  
The wolf was taken completely off guard and yelped helplessly, but  
it didn't fall. Counter attacking with a furious howl, the fire smashed   
into the little girl and threw her into the wall along with the rest of   
her allies. A sort of sadistic smirk crossed the monster's face, and he  
began spitting fire at the Palace proper.  
From her spot on the ground, Aurora Borealis stirred and opened   
her brown eyes. "Scouts..." she whispered, using the little strength she  
had left to turn her head sideways and glance at the prone forms of   
Sailors Polaris and Moon. "Neo-Queen Serenity..." Coughing, she rolled   
onto her stomach, which she could feel was tender and sore, and managed   
to clamber onto her hands and knees. "You...hurt...them..." she hissed,  
glaring at the creature as it wreaked havoc on the Palace. "I'll...  
punish...you..."  
Then, there was the sound of metal ripping through fur and flesh,   
and--though it hurt something awful--she gasped involuntarily. There,   
beside the wolf-monster, was King Endymion, his silver sword glistening   
in the spring sunlight as he hacked at the giant canine.   
As she climbed slowly to her feet, Sailor Aurora Borealis felt   
tears welling up in her eyes. A father would risk his life to save his   
child. She glanced at Sailor Moon, the ends of her hair singed and her   
fuku scorched. Even a child like Reeny, who was not the paragon of   
perfection by any means, was worth protecting. Her teary brown orbs   
suddenly turned to glance at a sobbing, shaking Helios, who rushed   
frantically through the line of awe-struck guards only to kneel besides   
his unconscious Princess. She wiped away tears and turned back to the   
wolf, who was randomly howling fire into the sky as the sword cut its   
body again and again. But yet, it did not fall.   
"Rainbow WAVE!" hollered the auburn-haired teen, a rainbow of   
color shooting from the palm of one of her hands and smashing into the   
wolf, knocking it to the ground. She sunk to her knees, panting, and the  
King of the Earth turned to her.   
"You alright?" he asked quickly, pushing his bloodied sword back   
into its scabbard. "You look beat..."  
"SAILOR SCOUTS!" screamed a chorus of voices, and both of them   
glanced away to see the other three Galactic Sailors and the other three  
Chibi-Scouts running up to the scene quickly, footfalls echoing on the   
pavement. Not far away, the others were beginning to stir, finding   
themselves all being coddled.   
Sighing, Sailor Polaris watched as, slowly, the wolf seemed to   
crumple up into a tiny purple ball. "What was that?" she asked softly,   
leaning against her Prince as one of the present kitchen maids cleaned   
her bleeding knee.  
Neo-Queen Serenity climbed shakily to her feet, leaning on her   
husband for support. "I do not know," she admitted hesitantly, as though  
she was in a mass amount of pain. "But I believe it is, once again, Evil  
Queen Ginnie has done this..."  
"And what do we do about it?" questioned Sailor Earth, leaning   
against the great quartz wall, green eyes intense.  
With slight sorrow in her voice, Chibi-Pluto stood up, weighing   
the little purple marble in the palm of her white-gloved hand. "I don't   
think even my mother knew," she whispered, choking back obvious tears.   
"And I think that she still doesn't."  
************  
  
"Susan's GONE?" gaped Mina, her blue eyes wide as six of the nine   
Mistresses sat around the large mahogany table. "How could she been   
gone?"  
The Meeting of the Mistresses had been called post haste,   
especially since the news of Serenity's run-in with the wolf-dog spread   
quickly amongst the group. The Inners, of course, hadn't known that the   
Keeper of Time had left her family to go into the past, so it naturally   
came as quite the shock when Hannah, reluctantly, told them.  
Sighing, the tall blonde woman leaned back in her chair, laying   
her arms on the rests nonchalantly. "We all remember when Susan brought   
Reeny into the past for training as Chibi-Moon," she drawled tediously.   
"And we all knew, somewhere deep-down, that she'd go back to do just   
that again."  
"SOMEDAY," stressed Raye with a wrinkle of her nose. "No one would  
have guessed, even for a moment, that it would be today."  
Michelle shrugged noncommittally. "I felt it," she admitted   
softly. "The pull toward destiny. And I knew it was the beginning."  
"As did I," sighed the youngest of the women reluctantly, blowing   
a raven strand of hair from her violet eyes. "Of course, I had a right   
to feel it, what with Saturn being soon awakened..." She trailed off   
nervously, focusing on the sleeping dark-haired babe in her arms.  
Gulping, the Mistress of Jupiter stretched out her long legs and   
glanced around at the group, green eyes sad. "What of her family?"   
questioned the woman softly.  
"Those children can take care of themselves," put in Alex with a   
shrug. "You don't know the twins very well, and--let me tell YOU--"  
"I think she meant Terrence" interrupted the timid aqua-haired one  
with an annoyed glance sent toward her wife. "He's so very dependent on   
her..."  
Silence reigned, not one of the Mistresses knowing quite what to   
say. Outside, there were the sounds of sirens and Royal Guard cars   
rushing up and down the streets of the large city, and it brought   
shivers running down all six spines. What would happen without the   
Guardian of Time?  
The door to the dining room burst open, just then, and little   
green-headed Aeris came tearing in, a cat whose fur matched her owner's   
tresses following close behind her. Upon seeing all the adults, she   
froze and pulled her long black skirt to either side of her body, bowing  
deeply. "Good day to you, the Mistresses of Mars, Jupiter, Venus,   
Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn." She glanced up timidly, bright eyes   
nervous. "May Serenity smile down on you."  
"What is it, Aeris?" asked Alexandra, rolling her own gray-green   
eyes at the dreadfully formal greeting--a greeting that was normally   
only bothered with at Palace functions.   
She straightened up, back flat as a board, and stared straight at   
the questioning adult. "I would like to request the ability for Celeste   
to join us at dinner." She glanced warily at the woman with the red bow,  
losing some of her nerve. "If that would please the Mistresses of   
Uranus, Neptune, Sat--"  
"Make it so," interrupted the red-bowed one quickly, waving a   
hand. "I'm not going to make dinner tonight, so she might as well stay   
here."  
Smiling and bowing once again, the girl bustled out of the room,   
closing the door slowly behind her.  
As soon as she was gone, Raye leaned her elbows on the table and  
rested her chin in her hands. "What are we to do about this?" she asked  
with a long sigh, purple eyes glancing at each of her friends.   
Lita shook her head slowly.   
Mina shrugged softly and turned away, glancing out the large   
picture window.  
Reaching for her love's hand, the Mistress of Neptune was   
wordless.  
As was her blonde wife.  
Hannah looked sadly down at her sleeping child and drew the babe   
close to her bosom, a tear tracing its way down her cheek as she w  
ondered, albeit hesitantly, about the child's future.   
And then, she sighed. "What can we do?" she asked, shaking her   
head reluctantly. "What?"  
The answer didn't come.  
************  
  
Her footfalls echoed on the thin, bland carpeting as she carefully  
strode down the hallway. She knew that her face was nearly cadaverous   
due to the energy expelled in battle, and her ankle--already weak from   
an injury years ago--was swollen up to twice its proper size. But still,  
she did not let that bother her. She walked, albeit reluctantly, toward   
the door at the end of the long, beige hall. She walked, albeit shakily,  
toward the golden numbers which read 201. She walked, albeit slowly, to   
complete a mission all her own. She walked, steps wavering, path   
crooked, toward something that she had to do.  
King Endymion loved Reeny. Sure, she was a ditzy pink-haired teen  
whose first priorities were food and sleep, in that order, but he loved  
her. Sure, she was not the paragon of perfection, but he adored her.   
And, sure, she was just his daughter, no one all that important, but   
he'd created her out of love and caring. And that was enough for him.  
She raised a fist slowly, studying the sunshine-colored numbers   
that were attached to the door. King Endymion was the King of the Earth.  
The man behind the door was just the destined love of her mother. Did it  
really matter?  
It did.  
Knocking loudly, she pressed her lips together and glanced   
nervously at the bright bronze knob that was so near her hand. It would   
soon turn, and she would soon...  
The door opened slowly and she glanced up into a pair of   
glittering chestnut eyes. "Alice?" asked the man nervously, a concerned   
expression crossing his tanned face. "Are you alright?"  
With a sigh, she stared up and let tears finally boil up in her   
eyes--the first tears she had allowed since she'd left Crystal Palace   
and taken a long walk to think, ending up at the hotel. But she blinked   
them away and straightened her spine slowly. "I just came to say one   
thing, Ken, and them I'm leaving."  
His forehead creased in confusion as he stared down at the auburn-  
headed teen--his daughter. His only daughter. "Yes?"  
Alice took two small steps toward him and wrapped her arms around   
his neck, burrowing her head in his white dress shirt for a long moment  
before pulling away and wiping the falling tears from her eyes. "I just   
wanted to say that I'm sorry," she said softly. "And that I forgive   
you."  
As she turned to walk away, he caught her wrist in one of his   
large hands and pulled her back. "Come here," he commanded, tugging her   
toward his chest and wrapping his arms tightly around her lithe body.   
She started sobbing right then, finally unable to hold back her   
flood of emotions. "I'm so sorry..." she wailed, tears soaking her   
father's shirt. "I was awful..."  
"Shh..." he hissed delicately, rocking her back and forth. "I   
forgive you..."  
************  
  
"It was AWFUL," he stressed, stroking the sea of long, sandy curls  
that laid--along with a head--in his lap. "Reeny just LOOKED at me and   
yelped in complete surprise. All I could do was blush and sigh..."  
She smiled slightly and yawned, her brown-copper eyes half-  
closed. "Rich, I don't think that anyone cared..."  
With a shake of his head, he sighed and closed his cobalt orbs.   
"You don't understand," he countered with a slight shake of his head.   
"First, she recognizes me without explaining, then I rush out after her,  
suddenly..." Leaning his head back against the couch, Richard sighed   
once again. "I must look like her lover or something..."  
The weight from his lap was lifted momentarily, and he opened his   
eyes only to see Lyra plop down in his lap. She wrapped her arms around   
his shoulders. "You can't possibly be HER lover," the blonde teen   
countered with a playful sparkle in her eyes. She leaned forward and   
touched noses with her prince. "You're MINE, Richard."  
He laughed slightly and kissed her lightly, closing his eyes once   
again as their lips met and passions slowly built.  
A pair of unseen green eyes watched from the counter of the   
kitchen from in front of the speakerphone. "Yeah..." she whispered.   
"They're kissing now, but not too much..."  
"KISSING?" spat a feminine voice, and there was a clatter from the  
other end of the line. "How could you let them KISS?"  
The one on the other end rolled her eyes. "They're like this every  
day," replied the silver kitten, sighing miserably. "It's completely   
normal. I don't see why you're uptight..."  
"Because kissing leads to...YOU KNOW...and that leads to babies!"  
argued the woman from the other end. "And I do not want to be a   
grandmother yet."  
"But... Miss Venus..."  
From her end, Mina cleared her throat. "You're my spy, and I say   
you'll break all that up!" There was a click, followed soon by a dial   
tone.  
Cassiopeia sighed and hit the 'off' button on the telephone,   
stretching her small limbs and wrinkling her pink nose in exasperation.   
Why her?  
"Rich! Lyra!" she called loudly, jumping onto the next counter and  
flipping the lock on the window before nudging it open. "The window in   
here blew open again!"  
There was a grunt and a sigh from within the living room, and then  
Lyra's sweet, high voice echoed through the apartment. "Coming, Cass!"   
she called. "Give me a sec!"  
With a shake of her head, the kitten glanced up at the starlight   
sky and wished--with all her heart--that Mina would soon give up on it   
all.  
************  
  
"So, you'll do it?" questioned the girl, kneeling on the marble   
floor and glancing at the little black kitten and the large pink one.   
Diana rolled her crimson eyes and glanced at the ceiling   
nervously. "I don't think it's right," she argued, "for the two of us to  
sneak into the Crystal office and make copies of Prophesy books?" She   
sighed and shook her head. "If I wasn't under the Queen's orders..."  
The blue-eyed kitten giggled. "AUNTIE," she scolded with a slight   
smile. "You'll annoy her!" She laughed aloud, but it was a nervous   
laugh. "I'm kinda scared, though," Carina admitted softly. "If we get   
caught..."  
"We get caught together," said another voice suddenly, and six   
eyes gazed up at a woman with straight blonde hair and a toothy, red-  
lipped grin. "We do it together," repeated Lisa stubbornly, brushing off  
the tan fabric of her dress. "No matter what."  
************  
  
Galactic Sailors Say!  
  
Chibi-Star: Today, we learned that I played a nasty, nasty trick on the   
Starlit Prince. And it was fun!  
  
Tara: (walking into the scene) But playing tricks on people isn't very   
nice.  
  
Alice: (entering) We also learned that I actually do have a dad, and   
that he loves me VERY much.  
  
Tara: (sniggers) Yeah, Al... He loves you so much, he left you for   
fifteen years.  
  
(Alice chases Tara offscreen)  
  
(Suddenly, all the 2nd season Galactic Sailors appear, and the scene   
with Tara being chased offscreen freezes behind them.)  
  
Reeny: I suppose you're wondering what's going on.  
  
(Audience nods in agreement.)  
  
Alice: And I suppose you recognize this as the Galactic Says from story   
4.  
  
(Audience nods again.)  
  
Phoebe: (grins) And I suppose you like chocolate-covered ants!  
  
(Audience starts to nod and then freezes, shaking their heads   
violently.)  
  
Lyra: (rolls eyes) Well, if you've ever watched the dub, you'll notice   
that the Sailor Says segments start to repeat themselves, repeat   
themselves, repeat themselves, repeat...  
  
(Celeste smacks her sister upside the head)  
  
Lyra: (blinks) Thanks. I needed that.  
  
Tara: (smiles) Well, in true 'dub' form, we've decided to do just as   
DiC did--no more pure Galactic Says segments! From now on, it will be   
same-old, same-old.  
  
(Lawyer from DiC walks on.)  
  
Lawyer: I'm sorry, but you're stealing our stupidity. You could be sued.  
  
(All Sailors glance at one another sheepishly.)  
  
Haley: (sighs) Well, then... Never mind.  
  
ALL: DiC says...  
  
Lawyer: See ya!  
  
-I Know-  
Look around...  
(Ambriel stares down at Tokyo from the top tower of Crystal Palace)  
So many things aren't clear...  
(Aeris and Peter stand before the Gate of Time with terrified   
expressions)  
Don't worry, though...  
(Haley smiles and turns a page in her book)  
You know that I'll be there...  
(Orion and Orb chase after the kittens)  
A lot of things are so uncertain...  
(Tara, near tears, bites her lip)  
The future's on its way...  
(Michelle holds Delaney, an amazed smile on her face)  
Look into my crying eyes...  
(Reeny wipes tears off her cheeks while Serenity watches nervously)  
Don't take your love away!  
(Alice slams the door in her father's face)  
  
Sometimes, the road looks long...  
(Lyra looks up at the North Star)  
And sometimes, the world seems wrong...  
(Phoebe hugs her mother around the waist)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(The six Galactic Sailors hold up their lockets)  
  
Sometimes, you feel weak...  
(Richard grabs onto the wrist of a falling Celeste)  
And sometimes, the future looks bleak...  
(Terrence shakes his head as Sailor Pluto walks through the Gate of Time)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(Ambriel, Celeste, and Aeris all hold up their transformation pens)  
  
Times will change...  
(Tara, robes flying, chases Joshua around the courtyard)  
People will change, too...  
(Haley plays with her now-long hair)  
But deep inside...  
(Helios takes Reeny's hands in his)  
I always will love you...  
(Richard bends down to kiss Lyra)  
I suppose there are questions now...  
(Peter tugs on Terrence's pant leg)  
The answers are so far...  
(Alice and Phoebe dive for a floating sphere and miss)  
But look at me and smile now...  
(Hannah and Brian both smile as Alex takes Delaney into her arms)  
I am your guiding star!  
(Lyra and Richard stare at Celeste and Peter, who are watching the   
sunset)  
  
Sometimes, the road looks long...  
(Lyra looks up at the North Star)  
And sometimes, the world seems wrong...  
(Phoebe hugs her mother around the waist)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(The six Galactic Sailors hold up their lockets)  
  
Sometimes, you feel weak...  
(Richard grabs onto the wrist of a falling Celeste)  
And sometimes, the future looks bleak...  
(Terrence shakes his head as Sailor Pluto walks through the Gate of Time)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(Ambriel, Celeste, and Aeris all hold up their transformation pens)  
  
I know...  
(Chibi-Pluto, the Angel Moon, and Chibi-Star stand together)  
I know...  
(The Galactic Sailors stand together)  
All you need is love...  
(All nine girls stand together)  
All you need...is...love...  
(The Prince and Princess of the Stars kiss)  
************  
  
Well, that's that. Hey, minna, some bad news. I'm under a computer   
vendetta, here, which means that I can't write too much anymore. About   
an hour of work a day. So bear with me, relax, lay back, and pray that I  
don't quit while I'm ahead. Or behind. Whatever. Just hope I don't quit.  
  
And thanks to Andrea, who ripped apart the first half and actually   
helped.  
  
  
In other news, the stats for this one are:  
  
40 pages (in Courier 12)  
32 revisions   
803 minutes (or about 33 hours)  
And only 2 ulcers.  
  
--Kate!  



	6. Angels

Angels  
  
Author's Ramblings: 'ello again, minna! Once again, *I* will ramble for   
Kate (she already rambles too much in "real" life.) Instead of revealing  
major plot points like for story 10, I will pursue my case. (Although,   
you do know that Endymion will divorce Usagi because he has a funny sort  
of pain in his left knee.) So, here's my proposal: Seeing as to how I am  
Ginnie (NOT EVIL!), I say Kate lets me win or I get turned good--like   
Galaxia! (Maybe Angel Moon is my goodness... Angel Angel?) So send   
letters to Kate--flood her already full mailbox with letters saying   
things like "Ginnie is too good/cool to die" or "Like Ginnie, I too like  
Hotaru" or "Ishataka (of Mononoke Hime a.k.a. Princess Mononoke) is hot"  
or "Shampoo is a bitch; go Akane!" Well, I digress. Let us see how the   
Gals hold up against me this week! Wahahahahahahahaha... (etc, etc)   
--Un-evil Queen Ginnie  
***********  
Didja miss last ep? No soup for you!  
  
Susan, as Sailor Pluto, left for the past to pick up a six-year-old   
Chibi-Moon and then battle the Death Busters (and we all love SMS, ne?)   
Haley, mad about loosing Eric and about Susan's leaving, moved in with   
Phoebe and out of her house. Richard found himself in Reeny's college   
class. Cassiopeia played the stooge for Mina. There was a Mistress   
Meeting to discuss Susan's departure. Alice reconciled with her father.   
Ambriel got caught in the Prophesy vaults and got yelled at, leading   
Reeny to vow no more Prophesy for her 'child.' This summary is out of   
order. Seth took over in making trouble for the Scouts. God, is this   
long! Oh, and they fought three wolfish monsters and "Dreamworld" is a   
great fic! ::cough:: Onto the story...  
  
And that, my friends, is where the story beings...  
************  
  
"'When people die, that doesn't mean it's all over. Quite on the   
contrary. When they die, it means...'" She grunted in annoyance and   
threw the slim volume over her head, listening to the slight thud it   
made as it rammed into the wall. "That mess is SO boring!" she whined,   
rolling over and laying on her stomach, studying the pale face of the   
brunette who sat, cross-legged, beside her. "Whatcha doing, Haley?"  
Teal eyes glanced up and at the teen with the navy-blue locks   
pulled into plaits. "I'm going over soccer stuff," she responded,   
casually, leaning back and stretching her long arms behind her head.   
"You'd be surprised how dry it is." Gazing across the room and at the   
small paperback, which laid unceremoniously in a potted plant, Haley   
raised a thin brown eyebrow. "What was that you just flung across the   
living room?"  
Phoebe yawned and rolled her eyes. "It's some stupid book on   
death," she sighed, kicking her feet idly through the air. "In   
psychology class we're learning all about the different death modes..."   
She shook her head, disinterested. "And it includes a whole, big, BORING  
section on essays about Heaven, Hell, and the Afterlife." Sighing once   
again, she laid her head on her hands and stared up at the older woman.   
"And it's just SO dull."  
"I dunno, Pheebs," admitted the brunette reluctantly, tucking her   
knees up under her chin. "We're all going to die, someday. And who knows  
where we'll go?"  
The other laughed. "We can't DIE!" she argued through giggles.   
"We're the Sailor Scouts, and we're immortal!"  
Haley screwed her face into a solemn, thoughtful expression. "I   
don't know... Didn't our parents all die a couple of times? And didn't   
WE both die, once?" Her younger friend wrinkled her pale brow in   
thought. "I think that, sometimes, we overlook the fact that death is   
very real... Very final..." She sighed wistfully and gazed pensively at   
her companion. "I mean, sure, we're all Sailor Scouts," she continued   
with a shrug. "But don't even Scouts and Mistresses have to die?"  
"Yeah..." wondered the blue-haired actress aloud. "Our parents ARE  
old..."  
Her friend laughed. "I didn't mean it THAT way!" she protested,   
shaking her head with a sort of sad smile upon her face. "I'm just   
saying that... Well, won't it all end for us, someday?" she questioned.  
Nodding, Phoebe glanced up at her cohort. "I guess you're   
right..." she agreed softly, staring. "But can I just ask you one thing,  
Haley?"  
"Hmmm?" Responded the other, focusing back on the soccer   
paraphernalia before her.   
"When in the world did you get so darned smart?"  
************  
  
"So..." drawled Rob, a sadistic smile crossing his pale face as he  
set his book upon the kitchen table and glanced at the other young man   
who'd just arrived. "I heard how well your attack went over with the   
Queen..."  
Silently, Seth touched the large bruise around his left eye and   
sighed inwardly. Ginnie had been...unhappy... "It's just a little   
bruise," he retorted calmly, trying to hide the anger that lied beneath   
his cool exterior. "You couldn't have done any better."  
The blonde snorted. "That's what you think, stupid," he commented,  
waving one hand in a sweeping gesture. "But all this will be mine,   
dearest Seth. Even your little puppy." Glancing at the large golden   
retriever, who had raised his head ever so slightly, the man shook his   
head. "Especially the dumb dog..."  
"I could eat your cat for dinner," yawned the great canine,   
rolling over onto its side. "Don't mess with me."  
"Whatever," retorted Rob, though the pallor of his face belied his  
cold comment. Turning quickly to the brunette man, who was now rooting   
through the cabinets, he cocked his head to one side. "So, what's the   
next plan of action?"  
Pulling a box of teabags from the cupboard, the other rolled his   
brown eyes. "Why would you care?" he spat, tone low and annoyed. "You   
don't like me."  
With a laugh, he leaned back in his seat and rested his feet upon   
the oak table. "And what makes you think that?" he questioned haughtily.  
"Just because you're obnoxious and stupid doesn't mean..."  
"What's the square root of 169?" interrupted Seth quickly, not   
turning around.  
"Excuse me?"  
"Square root of 169. What is it?"  
There was a clunk as Seth set his mug upon the counter and placed   
a teabag in it. However, that was the only sound.  
"Uhh..." Rob tugged at his collar, as though it was suddenly   
entirely too tight, and glanced at the turned back of his companion.   
"Twelve and a half?"  
"Thirteen." The brown-haired one turned around and crossed his   
arms across the black fabric of his uniform. "I'm not as stupid as you   
think I am."  
Blue eyes rolled back as the blonde one rose to his full height   
and strode over to the shorter, smaller man. "Look," he growled, jabbing  
a finger at Seth accusingly, "I don't like you. I honestly never HAVE.   
However, we're all in this together--you, that butt-kisser Tina, our   
'benevolent' Queen and me. And, the less work I have to do to make   
Ginnie happy, the better." He tossed his head and continued to glower   
down at the brunette. "I just want to win this world and be able to rule  
as the man I should be." His eyes lowered farther. "And I don't care   
how."  
Seth glared into the compassionless, freezing azure orbs before   
turning away from the bigger man and walking toward the kitchen sink,   
teakettle in tow. "An attitude like that will get you killed," he  
muttered under his breath as he strode.  
"WHAT was that?" roared the blonde one, pounding a fist on the   
black countertop.  
He whirled around and flashed a fake smile. "Nothing, Rob," he   
lied through gritted teeth. "Absolutely nothing."  
************  
  
"This is actually starting to make sense..."  
She watched the little girl, silently, as the child leaned forward  
and studied the packet of papers before her. Such a precocious child.   
Such a blessing. Such a beauty.  
Sighing, the woman leaned against the white marble of the wall as   
the redheaded child bent over the two cats, each with a crescent moon   
upon their feline foreheads, and watched. She watched the little girl   
telling them something. She heard the tiny black kitten laugh a bit. She  
felt the disdain in the pink animal's voice within her own soul as the   
littler cat received a slight reprimand.   
Lisa had made a promise, and she remembered it. She had promised   
to raise the child--the Angel Ambriel--as she would raise any child. The  
Angel of the Moon, a young, beautiful woman who had been dressed in   
flowing gowns of pure white, had made her promise to take good care of   
little Ambriel. To raise her as well as the Princess could and better.   
To protect her and to let her become the priestess...  
There was that word again. Priestess. It seemed that the Gift and   
the Prophesy always went back to one thing: some strange Priestess. She   
was oft mentioned in the great brown book that Ambriel so loved... The   
Priestess of an ancient time who would save the world from all pain and   
suffering. And the Angel of the Moon had said that--even though she,   
Lisa, was just a handmaiden--she would help raise Ambriel. And to watch   
that Reeny did a good job.  
Sinking to the floor, Lisa tucked her legs to her chest, the   
scratchy brown dress she wore irritating the soft skin of her chin as   
she rested it upon her knees. Soon, very soon, Ambriel's new way of   
obtaining Prophesy would be discovered. Soon, very soon, Reeny would   
draw the correct conclusion and discover--low and behold--that her   
'best bud' Lisa had been to blame for letting the girl get her hands on   
more Prophesy. She would be quickly stripped of duties as a royal   
handmaiden to the Queen and Princess, once Reeny found out. She'd be   
thrown to the streets and left as some sort of cretin... Her life would   
be shamed. After all, being a handmaiden was not exactly the best work   
in the world, but it was very well respected. Handmaidens were at least   
considered human. But having yourself disrobed as a servant to the royal  
family... You might as well be dead...  
Suddenly cold, the young woman let out a sigh and watched as   
Ambriel flipped over another page of the photocopied book and began to   
study the next sheet of scrawls and scribbles. She smiled a bit and   
turned her blue-eyed glance away and to the skylight.  
A single bird passed across the sky.  
"Who cares if I loose all honor?" whispered Lisa, voice hardly   
audible even to her own ears. "I promised this to the Angel of the Moon,  
and I will keep helping Ambriel become what her destiny requires." A   
single tear rolled down her cheek, and she once again brought her chin   
to rest upon her knees, taking one last, long look at the child.  
She smiled again and sniffled. "And I will do this for the most   
important thing in my life..."  
And her last word floated through the room, like a dove on a   
breeze.  
"Ambriel..."  
************  
  
Her green-black hair whipped softly against her pale face as she   
sat alone on the front porch swing, watching as the first few daring   
chipmunks of the spring came out from their hiding places. They were   
braving a new, unknown element... Just as she, the little girl who knew   
so much, was.  
Sighing, she kicked her long legs back and forth, using them to   
slice through the cold, motionless air as her thoughts overwhelmed her.   
It was like a brave, new world to her. Life without the woman who had   
borne and raised her. Life without the woman who was to train and teach.  
Life...  
Without her mother.  
"Why..." she whispered, her single word raspy and melancholy.   
"Why did she have to go away?"   
A single tear, pure and crystalline, sparkled as it rolled down   
one of her tanned cheeks. Hastily, she wiped it away and leaned against   
the wooden swing. She couldn't cry. Not now. Not ever. She was a Sailor   
Scout, and Scouts did not cry. They never cried...  
Did they?  
"You worry too much," drawled a soft voice, tone slightly   
reproachful, from near her feet. "You can't worry about being a   
Scout... You have to DO." The thin, lanky green-furred kitten leapt onto  
the seat and settled herself down beside the girl. The garnet-red eyes   
were stern, if not downright angry, as the animal stared at the child   
beside her. "Jeez, Aeris," put in Ara, wrinkling her brow in thought,   
"you ARE upset about all this, aren't you?"  
She just turned away, her colorful eyes focusing on the city   
skyline. "No, I am not upset," she quickly lied, her voice not at all   
convincing. "I am just in need of some time... To...think..."  
The Guardian sighed. "I know this must be hard," she whispered,   
still observing the young Scout wordlessly, "but you must press on,   
Aeris. The entire world depends on you and the others."  
"And the entirety of the past is dependant on Mother," she   
remarked, turning to gaze upon the small cat. "My life is some sort of   
untouchable paradox, dear Ara..." She sighed and ran her long fingers   
through the soft, thick fur of her cat. "And I do not believe I can   
escape this..."  
Ara smiled slightly and stood, walking over to the girl and   
plopping down in the warm lap of the three-year-old. "You can do   
anything," she insured the young Guardian of Time. "You are now the   
official holder of your mother's position, and you will be just fine."   
She rested her furry chin upon one of Aeris' trembling hands. "Don't   
worry."  
"That does not sound much like something you, dear Ara, would   
say," responded the girl, patting her pet lovingly. "But I much   
appreciate it..."  
"In the end," put in a new, thoughtful voice from behind the   
swing, "everything will turn out alright."   
Aeris turned in her seat to stare directly into bright violet   
eyes. She smiled slightly at the sight. "You are certain it is so, Miss   
Hannah?" she asked softly, cocking her head to one side.  
The young woman shrugged noncommittally and bit her lower lip. "I   
can't say that I do," she admitted with a sad smile. "I can't say that   
anyone can be certain..." She continued on her walk down the long,   
narrow porch and toward the front door, stopping just before her hand   
touched the golden knob before her. "But, Aeris," she thought aloud,   
turning back to the child, "where there's a will, there's a way..." She   
trailed off in thought.  
"AND?" questioned the girl anxiously, yearning to know more.  
Hannah smiled at her and shrugged once again. "And...all you need   
to do is find it."  
************  
  
"If this Ginnie babe is so damn powerful," she muttered, thinking   
aloud as she was oft apt to do, "then why doesn't she fight us herself?"  
The sharp bleat of a whistle snapped her face up from the   
clipboard before her, and she gazed upon the group of children. Most of   
the twenty-odd girls and boys were piled up in the center of the indoor   
soccer field, with two young girls watching intently.  
"Break it up!" yelled the referee, pulling on the arm of one blue-  
shirted little boy as he swung a fist at an orange-garbed girl.   
"Fighting will do you no good!"  
Haley rolled her teal eyes and tossed the board down, stalking   
into the 'field' with a distinctly disgusted glare plastered on her   
features. "Chibi-soccer," she muttered in a low tone, shaking her head   
as she watched her team try to maim the other eleven children with all   
the fury of rabid wolves. "I don't see how I get into these things..."  
As most of their team fought with the other, blue-clothed   
children, both Ambriel and Celeste watched the proceedings, both   
horrified and insensitive to the goings-on. Their faces were masks of   
impassive surprise.   
"They don't know what they're doing," stated the blonde child   
plainly, her green eyes surveying the mess as now three adults--two   
coaches and the single referee--desperately tried to separate the   
groups.  
The redhead nodded. "To them," she agreed, "this is what a fight   
is. They have never seen their lives flash before them."  
"It is AMAZING that they could be like this," continued older of   
the two, beginning to take a step forward as she brushed off her black   
shorts. "And I intend to stop it."  
Ambriel raised a single eyebrow. "And how will you do..."  
"STOP!" screamed the lithe blonde girl, her high voice echoing   
throughout the high-ceilinged gymnasium. Heads turned to look at her as   
she strode quickly forward and toward the pile-up of soccer players. All  
the children had ceased in their squabbling and were now standing in two  
almost identical lines, facing each other. Wordlessly, Celeste took a   
short, chubby dark-haired boy on her own team by the collar and pulled   
him out of line. Silently, she glared at him and drew the back of his   
hand quickly across his face. The child yelped out in pain and sunk to   
the floor. The girl let him fall.  
"CELESTE!" scolded Haley quickly, grabbing the girl by her   
shoulders and yanking her away from the whimpering boy. "What are you   
DOING?!" she roared, glaring into the dull green eyes of the nine-year-  
old. "You can't HIT kids, especially..."  
"He instigated a fight," responded the girl, voice cold and   
steady. "Those children do not yet know what fighting is, and the Keeper  
will not allow..."  
The young woman shook Celeste firmly by her shoulders. "That's   
ENOUGH!" she shot in a low tone. "You CANNOT slap children, whether   
you're the Keeper or Celeste or Mother Teresa!" She turned to look at   
Ambriel, whose gray eyes large as saucers as she stared at her blonde   
friend with both shock and--delight?--in her expression. Shivering, the   
brunette turned back to the Sailor Scout of the Small Star.   
"Understand?"  
Celeste grinned sheepishly, and rubbed the back of her neck with   
an expression of the utmost embarrassment upon her pale face. "Sorry   
'bout that," she apologized quickly, her certain happy-go-luckiness   
returning in a matter of seconds. "I don't know what came over me."  
Glancing across the group of children and at the other coach, a   
small, timid man of about thirty, Haley sighed and shook her head.   
"Well, if no one was hurt, then..." She shrugged at the man, and he   
nodded awkwardly. "Come on, team! Time to win!"  
The referee blew his whistle and the two teams lined up for a   
kick-off.  
And, from her place near the sidelines, Ambriel smiled.  
"I believe I have found the Keeper."  
************  
  
"How the HELL could she do this?!" she questioned angrily,   
stalking down the long white halls of Crystal Palace, her pale face a   
mask of anger and hurt. "I specifically said..."  
He sighed and ran a hand through his own silky silver tresses.   
"Reeny," he warned in a wary tone, "she's only human..."  
The Princess of the Earth continued storming down the hall, her   
skirts of the purest white flowing behind her in a long stream. Her   
footfalls, heavy and angry, echoed down the corridors of the Palace.   
Every once and again, servants who lived in the vast wing of the   
building would open their doors to see what the fuss was, closing them   
hastily upon seeing the Princess in such a blind rage.  
"She's not HUMAN," spat the young woman, still pounding across the  
expanse of marble at an obscene pace. "I TOLD her that the girl--MY   
DAUGHTER--was not to study that cursed Prophesy any longer!" She flipped  
a strand of pink hair behind her shoulder. "And I have had FAR enough!   
Who the Hell does she think she is?!"  
Her silvery Prince of Elysion just sighed and shook his head. Lisa  
should have known better, especially after their little discussion but   
two nights before... He furrowed his brow in thought and shooed a few   
surprised maidservants back into their rooms. Why hadn't Lisa stopped   
Ambriel? Why had she helped the little girl instead of halting the   
activities...  
Having reached one of the last few doors in the hallway, the pink-  
haired Reeny raised a fist to the wooden door and wordlessly banged on   
it, the echoes of the blows reverberating throughout the long, lofty   
hallway. Nearby rooms opened and men and women alike peeked their heads   
out into the corridor to witness what was happening.  
And then, Lisa appeared in the doorway of her own room, cerulean   
eyes meeting the teary red-orbed gaze with a certain ferocity that could  
not be readily described by any of the dozen onlookers. Wordlessly, the  
blonde woman pulled her identification badge from around her neck and   
held it out to the Princess.  
"I knew this would happen," she told Reeny with a helpless,   
sincerely sorrowful expression on her pale face. Tears welled in her   
eyes, and it was all she could do to force a smile and hold them back.   
"I just hope you know that I take my orders from both the Queen and the   
Angel of the Moon." She chuckled softly to herself. "Both Angels,   
actually." She looped a strand of straight hair behind one of her ears   
and placed her ID badge around the younger woman's neck. "I know I was   
wrong," she murmured softly, touching one of her friend's pale cheeks   
lightly, "but I did what I did because I love Ambriel. And you."  
With that, Lisa picked up a small brow suitcase and started in the  
direction from which the Princess had come, leaving the door wide open   
behind her.   
Reeny stared, awe-struck, after the handmaiden as the brown wool   
dress and head of corn-colored hair slowly became harder to see down the  
long white hall. Her gaze drifted sadly down to the badge around her   
neck. 'Lisa Warner--Handmaiden to the Princess Serena,' it declared, and  
she felt her heart skip a beat.   
Glancing at her Prince, the young Princess bit her lower lip to   
hold back the tears that threatened to pour from her aching red eyes.   
"Lisa..." she whispered, feeling herself begin to shake ever-so-  
slightly.   
Helios shook his head and wrapped a warm arm around his Princess,   
pulling her trembling form close to his body. "Maiden..." he whispered   
gently, laying his head atop hers.   
"I love her, too..." choked the young woman, now very much a girl   
as she threw herself into the warm embrace. "More than even I know..."  
************  
  
It had been a long time.  
As he pulled the pair of grayish-silver plates from their place in  
the cupboard, he forced a slight smile and sighed softly. Almost three   
years. That was a long time.  
Glancing sweetly--albeit sadly--at the head of dark blonde curls   
that peeked up over the back of the couch, he let his fake smile be   
quickly replaced with one of genuine happiness. They'd left their world   
for the next, true, but it was for a good cause. A real reason. A   
purpose beyond all others.  
And, in their own way, they had helped to save the world.  
With a sigh, Richard brushed his red bangs from his eyes and idly   
began to trace the plate border with his fingers. Little silver stars,   
each linked to its neighbors, encircled the dish. He felt a certain   
sadness tug at his heartstrings. Where were his parents, now? Heaven?   
Hell? Purgatory? The Afterlife?  
The Moon? He laughed at his own musing. The Moon? Why would they   
be there? Why...  
"Rich?"   
A gentle voice cut off his mirth, and he noticed--to his own   
horror--that the chortles had become frantic giggles. Coughing quickly,   
he straightened his spine and smiled sweetly at the short teen. "Yes,   
dear?" he cooed.  
Lyra's brow furrowed in thought, and she cocked her head of curls   
at him. "You were laughing, Rich," she informed him dryly. "And it was a  
sort of...deranged...laugh..." She smiled slightly at him and pressed   
her pink lips together. "Is everything alright?"  
Picking up the plates and striding toward the dining room, the   
young man shrugged his broad shoulders. "I was just wondering if there   
were really angels," he commented nonchalantly, setting two places just   
as he had for months. "I mean... Well, everyone wonders about angels,   
don't they?" He glanced down at her with a meaningful glint in his   
cobalt eyes and--once he saw that she was gaping at him in complete   
confusion--he quickly turned away and started back to the kitchen.  
But she, his little Star, was on his tail, following. "I don't   
know if there are or not," she admitted softly, focusing on a large pot   
that was boiling over. "My mother used to tell me tales of angels and   
demons... Of hope and loss..." She shrugged and plunged a spoon into the  
pot, stirring slowly. After a moment of thoughtful silence, she looked   
to him. "Why do you ask?"  
The question, for some inexplicable reason, startled Richard, and   
he nearly dropped one of the two forks he was holding. Gulping, he shook  
his head and focused on pulling the appropriate silverware from the   
drawer. "I was just...thinking..." he responded with a sigh. "About   
life...and death..."  
Silently, she strode over to him and wrapped her arms firmly   
around his neck, burying her face in his T-shirt. "Don't think about   
death," she murmured softly, her warm presence quiet soothing to   
Richard. "Think about life..." She glanced up, and smiled a bit. "Our   
life," she stressed, running her fingers through his hair. "Together."  
Leaning forward, he let their lips meet for a brief, sweet moment   
before pulling himself from her embrace. "There ARE angels," he decided   
with a soft grin, "because I found one in you."  
************  
  
Seth sighed and kicked a stone.  
It didn't make sense. Granted, in Ginnie's court, few things ever   
made a whole lot of sense (though that did lead to a certain amount of   
spontaneity that the minions had grown to like), but--to both his   
amazement and horror--everything seemed to be making less and less sense  
as time went on.  
He kicked another stone.  
The Crystal of Illusion, that STUPID rock that the Queen was so   
very hung up on, was still missing. And it was driving them all crazy--  
especially the young brunette man, because it was his mission to find   
it. Beyond that, the Sailor Scouts had defeated three of his wolves.   
That left only one purple marble.  
"I wish that there was something more I could do to beat the   
Scouts," he muttered, pulling the small crystal from his pants pocket.   
"But what else is there? All I have left is ONE monster... One tiny   
monster..." He wrinkled his nose and tossed the orb from one hand to   
another idly, a bored expression upon his pale face. "I don't see how   
this is fair," he whined to no one in particular. "Kevin screwed this   
all up, and THEN Arthur got himself killed..." Letting out a long sigh,   
he focused his brown eyes on the pebble-sized sphere as it fell into his  
left hand. "Why me?"  
He let the purple crystal fall and shatter into a million pieces,   
not at all surprised when it grew into a large, drooling wolf-dog that   
looked absolutely rabid.  
Leaving the creature to its own devices, the man smoothed his wool  
uniform, pushed his glasses up on his nose, and started down the   
sidewalk away from the wolf.  
The monster roared and let out a long howl, water flying from his  
mouth as he did so.  
And, somewhere on the horizon, there was a flicker of orange.  
***********  
  
"I'm not a priestess anymore," lamented the girl dejectedly,   
wiping her brow with the back of a hand. "Makes me wonder why I'm   
scrubbing the temple deck."   
The sun, which had remained hidden for most of the cool Sunday   
afternoon, shone down on her through the dim gray clouds. The weather   
had perked up slightly, though the weatherman had originally promised a   
rather cool and dreary day.  
Tara cursed her luck and continued scrubbing, an angry glare in   
her green eyes.  
"I WOULD'VE done it, Sissy," apologized the little dark-haired boy  
who stood, broom in hand, upon the cobblestone path behind her. "You   
know that, an' I know that, but Mama said..."  
With a grunt of annoyance, the teen turned around and threw her   
cloth in the large bucket of sudsy water. "I can deal with wearing my   
robes to 'keep up appearances,'" she shot at the child, pointing an   
accusing finger toward him, "and I can deal with doing NORMAL chores   
like cleaning my room and cooking dinner. But, Josh, when YOU go and   
weasel out of something..."  
"But I didn't weasel out!" he pouted, big purple eyes sad as he   
stared at his older sister. "I just said..."  
She rolled her eyes and chimed in. "'...that I didn't like   
kneeling to scrub the deck,'" she mocked him in a childish tone, her   
words synchronizing with his as she spoke. "Just do your sweeping,   
Josh," she commanded of her brother.  
"But..." began little Josh quickly.  
"Now." Her tone was cold as she turned her back to the boy and   
plunged an arm into the bucket. "If I don't get this done, I won't be   
able to hang out with Kristy and Rosie today."  
He wrinkled his little nose, sweeping the ground idly with the   
broom as he did so. "Whatever happened to those NICE girls?" he   
stressed, staring at her turned back. She said nothing. "You know? Those  
ones who used to come around here a couple of times a week and talk   
about the Great Fire with you?"  
With a slight gasp, the raven-haired teen froze in mid-scrub and   
felt her green eyes grow wide. She'd nearly forgotten about the other   
Scouts... She really hadn't spent a whole lot of non-battle time with   
them since she'd befriended some of the more popular girls at school...   
A pang of guilt hit her, and she could sense the tears building up in   
her eyes. Taking a deep, shaky breath, she closed her eyes and pushed   
the feeling of guilt away.  
"I see them a lot," she lied, wrenching excess water from the rag.  
"They just don't hang out here as much, anymore."  
Smiling, Josh let out a wistful sigh. "I liked that little girl   
with the green hair..." He paused for a moment in sweet remembrance.   
"She said her name was Airy--"  
"Aeris."  
"--an' was really pretty." He shook his head and continued   
sweeping. "Reminded me of Mama's friend Susan."  
Tara just chuckled to herself and continued scrubbing.  
************  
  
"According to this," she read, hitting a few, seemingly random   
keys on the tiny computer's pad, "those wolf-things were just like   
Arthur's fish and the giant bird." She wrinkled her small, pink nose,   
studying the small screen. "Same source, same style of cell   
structure..."   
"Soooo," drawled Orb, licking a paw idly, "what you're saying is   
that the only difference is that one was a bird, two were fish, and   
three were wolves?"  
Resisting the urge to scream, Orion snapped the blue Mercury   
computer shut and turned on her mate. "That's EXACTLY what I'm saying,"   
she responded, blinking at him in a state of doubt. "Weren't you paying   
any attention?"  
Diana, who was sitting on another end of the Urawa's kitchen   
counter, five small marbles before her (the sixth was lost when the   
Chibi-Scouts drowned the wolf--it was probably in the Pacific Ocean by   
now), sighed miserably. "We need a miracle to sort this out, guys," she   
put in sadly.  
"What we NEED," retorted her brother, standing, "is our parents,   
Di."  
The two Moon cats glanced meaningfully at one another, the pink   
one looking both annoyed and sad while her brother just looked as he   
probably felt--hopeless.  
Turning away, the calico felt a lump build up in her throat.   
Thinking of the two dead Guardian cats always upset her... In more ways   
than one.  
With a sigh, she jumped off the counter and started down the hall,  
muttering something about needing a walk. The two siblings, however,   
didn't hear her because they had begun bickering about being helpless.  
Once she had escaped the house via the cat door, the Guardian of   
the Silver Star let out another long sigh and sat down in half-dead,   
damp grass. The bright gold sun was making a valiant attempt at warming   
the world, casting its warm, sweet glow upon the Earth.   
It didn't help much, though. The late March weather was   
disheartening, with its thick, relentless clouds and 'in like a lion'   
attitude.  
She sighed upon thinking of the line. "In like a lion, out like a   
lamb," she whispered aloud, staring at the blooming crocuses which had   
pushed up through the dark dirt but weeks ago.   
Three years ago, at the same time of the year, an eternal white   
cat had compared his children's treatment of the strange calico cat to   
the treatment of the month of March to the world--in like a lion. And he  
had asked that they acted like lambs.  
What had so changed? She sat on her haunches, her soft green eyes   
staring up at the sky. She and Orb had known for far too long that, if   
they were to ever have children, that those kittens would be the 'ready   
Guardians.' And those 'ready Guardians' would replace the older   
Guardians.  
But no one had guessed that Luna and Artemis would die. Or maybe   
they just didn't admit it.   
"Why?" she asked the wind as it whisked past her, ruffling her   
fur. "Why did you two leave without even saying goodbye?" Orion felt   
herself blinking away tears, and she hung her head limply. "Serenity   
help me, but I don't think I can make it without you two by my side,"   
she whispered, sinking into the warm blanket of grass and letting the   
feeling of soft, sweet Earth sink in a replace the pain. "All I want to   
do is sleep..."  
The voice was but a rustling in the back of her mind.  
But if you sleep, where will you go?  
She gasped and let her forest-colored eyes pop wide open. It was   
so very familiar...  
One word touched her lips.  
"Artemis?"  
Come on, kiddo, the speaker chuckled gaily. If you go and give   
up like you want to... Well then, where would the world be? Orion swore  
that she could feel him shrug. You and the others can do it without   
Luna and me... You have before...  
She felt a slight smile tug at her lips, but it was a soft,   
lonely smile. "I don't know," she admitted, tone shaky. "You guys were   
at least AROUND last time..."  
The voice let out a long sigh. Who saved the Scouts and   
Mistresses last time around? demanded the masculine speaker within her   
mind. If it were Luna and I, then I'll be a monkey's uncle!  
"You're not an uncle," she assured him quickly with a roll of her   
eyes. "But you're a grandfather."  
She could feel the white cat beam. I've been watching them, he   
boasted, full of grandfatherly pride. Both Carina and Cassiopeia are   
going to be just like you--a handful of furry trouble--and Galileo gets   
his liveliness from Orb... He paused for a moment, and his tone turned   
pensive. And I think there's some sort of recessive genius gene from   
Luna that skipped right to Ara...  
They both laughed, Orion's light giggle carrying across the large   
backyard as it was picked up by the wind. But the chortles soon died,   
leaving the scrappy cat to do nothing more than sigh. "God, I've missed   
hearing your voice," she stated softly. "I wish that you guys were here   
right now..."  
But we're not, replied the voice reflectively. Where we are, we  
can at least look down upon you and hope that everything goes well. I   
can't even hold the telepathy much longer...  
Knowing that the tears were soon to come, she let her chin slowly   
touch the ground. "So, this is it?" she asked.  
There was a sigh. Not forever, stressed the male voice.   
Someday, you, Orb, and Diana will follow us here, no doubt with the   
Mistresses close behind you. And you three will love this place. He   
sighed once again and took a deep breath in. But, Orion, I just want   
you to know that we're here. And have been. And will be.  
She forced a smile and gulped back the tears. "Thank you,   
Artemis," she choked, her tone wavering helplessly. "I love you..."  
And, somewhere in the back of her mind, she could sense that a   
tear was running down the cheek of a purely white cat. I love you,   
too...  
************  
  
Phoebe shifted the weight of the heavy shopping bag from one arm   
to the other as she strolled down the street, blue braids trailing   
behind her in a tango with the wind. "'Love brings a lonely, lonely   
heart...'" she sang softly to herself, picking up her pace as she   
strolled down the unusually vacant street. " 'I'm all alone, now...   
Lonely, lonely'--HOLY CRAP!"   
The bag clattered to the hard concrete of the sidewalk, spilling   
groceries everywhere. Her jaw dropped as she gaped at the sight before   
her.  
It was a giant creature, half dog and half wolf, with a certain   
purple tint to its thick fur. And it was howling, sending streams of   
water everywhere.  
"The fourth monster in two days?!" exclaimed the navy-haired teen,  
awe-struck. "What is going on here?"  
Turning slowly, red eyes glared at the loud-mouthed teen. She drew  
in a sharp breath and stumbled backwards nervously. The creature roared.  
With a grunt, Phoebe shoved her hand high into the air, the Locket  
of the Sun clasped tightly in her fingers. "You beast!" she hollered at   
it, icy eyes lowering dangerously. "How dare you ruin a perfectly placid  
March day with your evil? In the name of Phoenix, I will..." She paused   
and glanced down at her thick yellow sweater and blue jeans. Sighing,   
she hung her head, embarrassed. "Give me a moment, my kind monster, and   
I will be right with you."  
It cocked its head to the side, obviously confused.  
And the red and orange of the locket glittered in the noonday sun.  
"Phoenix Galactic Power... Make UP!"  
************  
  
"And THEN," giggled the thin blonde teen, flipping a strand of her  
perfectly straight hair over a slender, shapely shoulder, "Melanie tried  
to convince me she WASN'T in love with the guy!"  
One of the two others, a shorter girl with chin-length red curls,   
laughed aloud. "Could you IMAGINE the look on Rosie's face when she said  
that?" asked the red-haired one. "And I was like 'Sure, WHATEVER you   
say.'" She shook her head. "And then, of course, there was that brush-in  
with that one scary senior..." She furrowed her brow and glanced to the  
blonde for support. "He's such a freak..." Her brown eyes glanced   
suddenly to the last of the three girls. "You alright, Tara?"  
All of the sights and sounds of the mall food court--a most   
popular hangout for high-school girls--meant nothing to the ebony-haired  
beauty as she clutched a hand to her chest. Her face, usually tan and   
quite placid, had become a sickly shade of the most ashen white. She   
froze and gasped for breath.   
The blonde one, called Rosie, waved a hand to the redheaded teen.   
"Kristy," she commanded sternly, reaching out and grasping one of the   
last girl's shaking hands, "go get a cup of ice water or a Slushy." She   
pressed her supple lips together and glanced at her motionless friend.   
"GO!"  
"No," coughed Tara weakly, blinking her large green eyes and   
forcing a smile. "I'm fine!" She shrugged at the other two and leaned   
back in her seat, folding her hands in her lap. "I just felt a   
little...dizzy...for a second, that's all."  
Kristy furrowed her brow, wrinkles creasing her flawless forehead.  
"You sure, Tara?" she questioned doubtfully. "You looked pretty bad."  
Smiling, the dark-haired one rolled her eyes. "Come on, Kris," she  
pressed with a hint of annoyance in her voice. "Tell us about the scary   
senior guy!"  
Both of her friends giggled and went back to their tales of   
gossip, boys, and Crossroads High.  
And Tara, for the first time, was able to ignore her locket alert.  
************  
  
"That's a nasty wolf-thing!" grunted Sailor Polaris, picking   
herself up off the wet ground and wiping both water and sweat from her   
brow. "Worse than the others!"  
With a wrinkle of her nose, Sailor Chibi-Star glanced at her   
sister. "I don't think it's any nastier," she retorted rather calmly,   
balling her fists in frustration. "I think that we're a little short-  
handed."  
The curly-haired Scout paused and glanced around the deserted   
area. Standing side-by-side near the wolf, fighting off streams of the   
freezing water while trying desperately to kill the animal, were the   
Pluto twins. Knelling on the ground, nursing both a lump on her head and  
a bruised ego (because the monster didn't wait until after the 'punish   
you' speech before it attacked) was a cranky Sailor Phoenix. She sighed   
and glanced at the smaller Scout. "You're ALWAYS right, aren't you,   
Chibi-Star?"  
Beaming, the girl raised a hand high in the air and winked a green  
eye. "You have NO idea," she replied before turning her attention on   
the monster. "Starburst--"  
The cretin roared and, leaping over the two Chibi-Scouts who stood  
before him, sent a stream of water flowing straight into both Scouts.  
Polaris yelped out in pain as she was picked up off the ground and  
thrown into a lamppost nearby, but Chibi-Star managed to avoid just   
enough of the beam to remain standing.  
Unfortunately, she was a bit dazed from the water attack and   
didn't notice as the wolf bared its teeth and leaned toward the girl,   
salivating...  
"Chibi-Star!" screamed the Master of Time (in Training) furiously,  
running forward across the slick blacktop of the street. "Watch out!"  
The blonde child glanced up, only to see dripping teeth the size   
of her arm hovering above her head. She screamed and closed her eyes.  
With a snap, the teeth clamped down...  
On a bit of cloth?  
Slowly opening the teary green orbs, the pigtailed child glanced   
around, only to see that the little Master of Time was laying, along   
with her, upon the cold ground. Half of his crimson cape was missing,   
and the edge was jagged and ripped. She let out a deep breath, and--upon  
seeing that his eyes were closed and that he was panting desperately   
for breath--Sailor Chibi-Star did the very first think that came to   
mind.  
She lunged closer to him and gave him a huge kiss on the lips.  
Sputtering, the young Master sat straight up, pulling quickly away  
from the clingy girl. "Eww!" he exclaimed, pulling his lips away from   
her and wiping them on his sleeve. "What do you think you're doing?"  
Her face turned bright red. "Uh..." The blonde girl glanced up at   
the sunny sky and away from the boy, her face growing even more crimson   
as she thought about her action. "Thanks for saving me?"  
"Chibi-Star! Peter! Get over here!" yelled Sailor Chibi-Pluto as   
she tried to bat the giant wolf-monster away with her Time Key. "I can't  
do this by myself!"  
Chibi-Star glanced over to where Sailor Phoenix and Sailor Polaris  
stood, both throwing countless attacks toward the creature's left side   
without much avail. In front of the monster was, of course, Chibi-Pluto,  
and--in the far distance--the little girl was certain she could see   
something white soaring through the air. Still... There wasn't much   
time...  
The wolf howled and sent the last of the three Chibi-Scouts   
reeling backwards and into a building. This infuriated the blonde girl,   
and she raised a hand into the air.  
"Starburst Shimmer!"  
Yelping in pain, the wolf-dog-monster fell onto one side, writhing  
in agony as the attack pummeled him. But there had hardly been time for   
the Scouts to catch their breaths when it rolled back onto its stomach   
and clambered into a standing position.  
Polaris grimaced as the creature howled once again, shooting a   
bright blue stream of water high into the air. "This thing's   
relentless!" she gasped, readying herself to attack once again. "I don't  
believe it!"  
Her blue-haired companion sighed. "Believe it..." she muttered in   
an annoyed tone. "This thing's no spring chicken..."  
"Angelic Glow!"  
A flash of pure silver light erupted from above them, its radiance  
nearly blinding in the afternoon sun. The monster cried out, falling   
once again to its side.  
But this time, it had no chance to get up.  
"Fiery Crater!"  
"Rainbow Wave!"  
The creature roared and its red eyes snapped shut.  
"Moon Saber Illumination!"  
Within a moment, the dust and iridescent brilliance of the lights   
had cleared, revealing three fuku-wearing Scouts and a certain Angel who  
fluttered behind them.  
Sheathing her sword, Sailor Moon took a quick evaluation of the   
situation and smiled. Sailor Chibi-Pluto had climbed to her feet and   
appeared to be unhurt; already, she was crouched and examining the tiny   
purple crystal which remained of the monster. Apart from the other   
Scouts were Sailor Chibi-Star and Peter, and both were blushing   
furiously at the other. But then, the pink-haired leader glanced at   
Polaris and Phoenix and let her grin turn to a frown.  
"Where the Hell is Sailor Earth?"  
Furrowing her brow, Polaris played idly with a strand of hair that  
had fallen from her ponytail. "She's not with you?" questioned the teen   
nervously.  
"Obviously NOT," rebuked Aurora Borealis with a roll of her   
chestnut eyes. "But, if she's not with you..."  
"Tara's changed," put in Chibi-Star thoughtfully, smoothing her   
purple skirt and glancing warily at the group. "She's been hanging out   
with this group of girls outside the mall lately, and they don't   
look..." She paused, thinking of the right word. "Nice."  
Nodding, Sailor Phoenix shrugged her shoulders. "Well, I don't   
know what's up with that haircut, either," she admitted, "but   
something's got to be done. I mean, between her quitting as a Priestess   
and..."  
"She quit?" gasped Angel Moon, floating placidly to the ground.   
"Why would she go and do a thing like that?"  
Chibi-Pluto stood up and thumped her Time Key on the ground.   
"This, I feared," she commented in a tone that was more adult than   
usual. "If she has resigned her duties as a Priestess, then surely we   
will be without fire readings."  
"Her fire readings never worked anyway." Sailor Comet flipped a   
strand of hair behind her slim shoulders. "I mean, why would we want   
more of her bogus readings?" she mused.  
"You're starting to sound like Alice," sighed Sailor Moon with a   
shake of her pigtails. "But this is SERIOUS, guys. If she ignored a   
locket alert..."  
There was a long pause of silence in which everyone avoided each   
other's eyes. No one knew how to speak of the last Scout. If Tara hadn't  
had her locket with her and it had been an honest mistake, then they   
would all look to be fools. But, as Scouts, they were to carry their   
lockets everywhere. So she should have had it. And if she'd had it...   
And ignored it...  
"We need a Scout meeting," commanded Moon firmly, hands on hips.   
"At my house," volunteered Phoenix quickly. "No Tara."  
Angel Moon slammed a tiny white boot upon the ground. "And I would  
like to have a Chibi-Scout meeting," she put in.   
Green eyes glanced from the leader of the Chibi-Scouts and at the   
redheaded girl. The Angel pressed her lips together and adverted her   
gray eyes.  
Nodding, Sailor Chibi-Star smiled slightly. "Very good," she   
decided. "We shall hold it at Peter's house."  
"Yeah," agreed the Master of Time, nodding emphatically.  
The Scouts all glanced at one another, and then:  
"Wait a second! MY house?"  
************  
  
"I'm a dead minion walking," mumbled Seth, annoyance riddling his   
usually perky tone as he trudged down the Tokyo sidewalks. "My last wolf  
fell victim to the wiles of the Sailor Scouts, and I'm SURE that Her   
Highness is not going to give me any leeway..." He shuddered and thought  
of that morning's meeting.  
'And I swear, Seth--with Satan as my witness--that, if you fail,   
I will see to it that you will find medieval torture to be enjoyable...   
And that will be your pessimistic outlook on it, if you catch my   
meaning.'  
Touching his black eye, he sighed. He hadn't caught the meaning,   
and he had a 'shiner' to show for it.  
"Damn Sailor Scouts," he grumbled, brushing past a shining orb of   
bright orange. "If I hadn't been so preoccupied with them, I'd have Her   
Highness' stupid Crystal by..." He froze.  
Glowing orange orb? Wasn't that how Ginnie had described the   
Crystal of Illusion just that morning?  
Seth grinned and whirled around. He'd be a good minion, yet!  
And then, he gasped.  
It was gone.  
************  
  
"She quit? Why in the world..." Large azure orbs, the epitomes of   
beauty and peace, stared at him. Her pink lips parted slightly, and her   
jaw dropped as she gaped. "Is there something you're not telling me,   
young man?"  
Sighing, Helios folded his hands in his lap and tried his hardest   
to appear adult and dignified. But before him sat the single most   
gorgeous woman in the world. Aphrodite paled in comparison to such a gem  
of the heavens. And he felt himself clam up, almost as he did around his  
own girlfriend occasionally. But this was a different kind of   
nervousness.  
This was almost fear.  
With another, half-hearted sigh, he ran a hand through his silvery  
waves of hair. "Well, Your Highness, Ambriel has been studying the   
Prophesy as you commanded..."  
Neo-Queen Serenity smiled slightly at this news. "Good."  
"Or, perhaps it would be more appropriate to say she was."  
Her smile quickly faded.  
And he frowned too. "I don't know why she went and acted like she   
did, Highness!" he swore, clutching his folded hands to his chest and   
looking directly into those incredible eyes. "I honestly do not! She   
just...panicked, I would say...when she found out that Ambriel had the   
Gift! And, though I wouldn't admit it to her, I was a little panicked   
too. But I wouldn't have taken the books away from her, and I wouldn't   
have gone after anyone! Honestly!" He dropped to his knees before the   
Queen of the Earth. "You just have to believe me on this one, Highness!"  
Wrinkling her brow in confusion, Serenity blinked a few times.   
"Lisa did all this?" she questioned with doubt in her tone. "Surely..."  
"No, Highness," he responded, climbing back into his chair and   
attempting to save what little dignity he had left. "Princess Serena did  
this."  
"Reeny?" gaped the Queen, her eyes even wider than they had been   
before. "She went against my orders?" Upon seeing the young man nod   
solemnly, she bristled. "Why? Does she not realize that she needs to   
unlock a passage soon?"  
He just stared at her, confused. "Highness?"  
Serenity slammed a fist onto the surface of the oak desk, not even  
grimacing as all the photos and papers shuddered violently. "And then,   
Lisa left because she knew that Reeny had done such a thing..." Standing  
quickly, she picked up her skirts and strode toward the door. "When I   
get my hands on that girl, I am going to see to it that she never sees   
the outside of a bedchamber again!"  
"Wait!" Helios called quickly after her, hopping to his feet and   
chasing the woman into the hall. "She's not here, and neither is  
Ambriel! They've got Scout meetings!"  
Whirling around, she jabbed a finger at his chest. "And I suppose   
that you tried to stop her, Helios?" she shot in an irritated tone.   
Seeing his face pale, she threw a pigtail behind her shoulders. "You   
have to learn that Reeny will not love you any less for being stern!"   
She thumped a foot upon the marble floor. "I am so annoyed with the both  
of you right now, I--"  
"And what about Lisa?" he asked quickly, tone ice cold. "What will  
you do about that woman? She's lost face in front of the whole royal   
family and every servant in this Palace." He lowered his blue eyes to a   
glare. "Isn't that a bit more important than seeking out a daughter   
who's not home or rebuking a man who didn't mean anything by what he   
did?"  
She paused for a moment and just stared at him, blinking. Then, as  
if by magic, a slight smile touched her pale lips and she chuckled good-  
naturedly. "No one has ever stood up to me like that before," she   
informed him, starting back toward her office. "You'll make a good King,  
someday."  
And she shut the door before him.  
Helios gazed at the closed marble barrier before him for a moment,  
awestruck. Taking a deep breath, he pinched himself to make sure that   
the Queen hadn't really killed him on the spot. The pinch hurt.  
And he smiled.  
************  
  
They filed into the den, silent as a winter's midnight, neither   
talking nor wanting to be talked to.  
Collapsing into one of two large leather armchairs, Aeris let out   
a long sigh and closed her colorful eyes. "I have a headache that could   
easily bring pallor to the face of the most hardened warrior."  
"Ditto," agreed both Celeste and Peter, plopping onto the small   
hunter green couch, side by side. Without even glancing at him, the   
blonde girl dove for the far armrest, turning bright pink in color. He   
did the same.  
The antics of the other two going largely unnoticed, Ambriel fell   
into another large armchair, resting her head against its back. "I'm   
sorry that I called this meeting, guys..."  
One of the two small Guardians of Pluto who had followed them in   
nudged the door shut. "What IS wrong?" questioned the tan kitten with a   
spark of concern in his brown eyes. "You Chibi-Scouts have never called   
a meeting before."  
"WE didn't call it," emphasized the girl with the corn-colored   
pigtails, sending a meaningful green-eyed glance toward her friend.   
"Ambriel did."  
All eyes turned on the redhead. She sighed and took a deep breath   
before speaking.  
"Well, I've been studying the Prophesy," she began softly, folding  
her tiny hands and setting them daintily in her lap. "And it's really   
confusing but I finally think I put a dent in it."  
Peter blinked his crimson eyes. "Dent?" he repeated.  
She nodded. "There's a whole lot of Prophesy," she explained,   
glancing warily around the room. "We have a whole vault dedicated to it,  
so that's a lot of books right there, and I've only read one cover-to-  
cover." She shrugged slightly. "And Mama hasn't exactly been supportive   
about this venture, so..."  
The green Pluto cat cut her off. "SO?" she prompted, staring at   
the small child from the lap of Aeris. "Tell us what you've found!"  
Sighing, gray eyes drifted shut as the girl recalled from memory   
the things she had read in the large tome. "It'll all start with this   
Priestess," she began softly. "The Priestess will use her power to let   
this young man--called 'The Master'--to save the world. But that will   
only happen after the Keeper rescues him from some disaster."  
"Keeper?" gaped Celeste, staring.   
Ambriel shrugged slightly. "That's where it gets really   
confusing," she admitted, opening her eyes once again and looking at her  
soccer teammate. "This Keeper is the 'Girl in Gold,' and she and he are   
destined."  
Dropping his jaw, Peter gasped. "Destined?" he questioned,   
doubtful.  
The Angel of the Moon nodded solemnly. "Then, they will rule the   
Earth alongside silver." She furrowed her brow in thought. "It said   
'silver to white to gold to black--thus the world will be ruled.' It was  
really strange."  
"And of the Chibi-Scouts?" put in Galileo, rolling over in the lap  
of the child he guarded.  
She bit her lower lip. "That was the weirdest part," she informed  
them softly. "It said that the 'Girl in Gold' would lead us through the   
disaster and pain, but that the Priestess--one of us--would end up   
saving the world when the disaster threatens."  
"Weird," sighed the young boy, glancing at the green cat and her   
trainee. "Do you guys have any clue what's going on?"  
Ara licked her chops. The Master was obviously the Master of Time,  
which would mean that he was in fact the young Peter. And if Peter was   
the Master, then either Celeste or Ambriel was the Girl in Gold. And   
Ambriel...  
She glanced at the red-haired girl, the gentle tresses of her hair  
contrasting with the heavenly white color of her dress. Surely, she   
would not be the Girl in Gold. Which meant...  
The kitten turned to look at the oldest of the foursome, her   
pigtails straight and silky. She was staring at Peter and seemed to know  
something... The cat shivered.  
"I think this is out of my league," she lied, keeping the secret   
thoughts to herself. "But who in the world helped you do all this,   
Ambriel?"  
"Lisa," breathed the little angel, gray eyes staring at the cat   
with remorse and an infinite amount of sadness. "But she's left..."  
Aeris' jaw dropped. "We cannot let her be as such!" she protested   
stubbornly. "If she has helped you thus far, she must continue to aid   
you in the quest to understand--"  
"What are you getting at?" questioned the tan cat, blinking at the  
girl.  
"We must find Lisa and beg her to return to the solemn service of   
the Queen!" insisted the child with the long green tresses, hopping to   
her feet and knocking her thin pet to the floor. "If we do not, Ambriel   
may never be able to break the riddle of Prophesy!"  
Celeste raised a hand in protest. "But--"  
"No buts!" pressed Aeris, starting for the door. "Ambriel, you   
come with me. Celeste, you go with Peter."  
Before any of the others could protest, the Guardian of Time (in   
Training) had grabbed Ambriel by the wrist and dragged her through the   
room and out the door.  
The two remaining Chibi-Scouts just glanced warily at one another.  
And they both blushed.  
************  
  
"This doesn't make any sense," sighed the Princess of the Earth,   
settling into her spot on the couch and solemnly sipping her mug of   
coffee. "Why would Tara ignore a locket alert?"  
Five of the six original Galactic Sailors, faces gaunt, sat in the  
living room of the Urawa family ranch. Since their walk from the battle   
site to the house, not one of them had really said anything beyond "that  
was a hard monster." No one quite knew quite what to say. It was a   
strange circumstance, and they'd not been there before.  
One of the Sailor Scouts had forsaken them.  
With a slight, hopeful smile, curly-haired Lyra shrugged her   
shoulders. "Maybe Tara was in the bathroom," she suggested   
optimistically, "and didn't have her locket with her. Maybe it was   
sitting in her bedroom and she didn't know..." She glanced at the   
others, who all looked very doubtful.  
"And maybe pigs fly and chickens sing," snorted Alice with a roll   
of her brown eyes. "Come ON, Lyra, you're a smart girl! Logic says--"  
"Logic says we're out a Scout!" snapped the blonde in retort. "Why  
would you be so quick to follow logic in a situation like this?"  
Holding up a hand, Haley shot the angry girl a stern glare.   
"Fighting isn't going to get us anywhere," she declared coldly. "Tara's   
NOT here, and we don't know why. That is the only important thing, right  
now." She then let her stern demeanor fall. "But what is wrong with that  
girl?"  
"She is greatly changed," Phoebe informed them, her icy eyes   
placid. "It's as though that hair cut morphed her into a different being  
and we can't extract the old Tara."  
With a nod of agreement, Reeny took another sip of her coffee.   
"I've noticed that, too," she volunteered solemnly. "The only time she   
ever recognizes me is during battle..."  
"Us, too," put in Lyra, gesturing to the auburn-haired teen beside  
her. "At school, all she ever does is giggle with this duo of ditzes and  
all their friends..."  
Alice sighed and pressed her lips together with a sad smile. "It's  
amazing," she sighed, shaking her head slowly. "I've never really liked   
Tara, but now that she hangs out with those idiots Rosie and Kristy, I   
miss her."  
Flipping a navy braid over her shoulder, the dramatic one forced a  
smile. "Wow. Alice doesn't despise Tara? Call the newspapers..." But her  
jest was unconvincing, and brought a frown to her face. "She's just so   
destracted, guys!" whined Phoebe with a helpless sigh. "It's like we   
don't matter anymore!"  
"All because some idiot poked fun at her once." The brunette young  
woman crossed her legs and rested an elbow on the armrest. "I don't   
understand--doesn't that happen to everyone?"  
"But not everyone has locket alerts and destiny," pointed out the   
blonde teen with sadness in her brown eyes. "Maybe we need to sit down   
and talk to her..."  
With a chuckle, Alice rolled her eyes. "This is TARA we're talking  
about!" she reminded them pointedly. "Her mind runs on a completely   
different track than that of a normal person!"  
Reeny furrowed her brow in annoyance. "Now, that's not--"  
"I mean that she has a habit of looking at things from a different  
perspective than you or I would." She wrinkled her nose. "Geez, the   
first time it's not a blow to that cactus' character, I get yelled   
at..."  
The Princess sighed. "Well, you're right," she supposed with a   
slight nod, "Tara does seem to see the spiritual side of things..."  
Phoebe shook her head. "Not anymore," came her response. "After   
all, she's acting like a totally different person, and we can't do   
diddly-squat about it."  
All five teens fell into silence, adverting each other's gazes.   
The actress was right. She was right far too often. Tara had, because of  
the wanton cruelty of her classmates, changed. She had changed her   
haircut, her demeanor, and her religion. And she'd left her destined   
companions in the dust, leaving them to wait for a return that might   
never come.   
"So, what do we do?" asked a nervous Lyra in her soft, shaky   
voice.  
The auburn-haired one shrugged. "What can we do?" she questioned   
casually. "I mean, as much as I hate to admit it, I think we've just got  
to leave her alone, this time."  
Haley raised an eyebrow. "Are you just saying that because you   
don't like her? Because, if you are, I'll--"  
"I've never disliked Tara," rebuked Alice coolly. "I mean, sure,   
she's got some of her mother's lesser qualities and all, but I can't   
very well blame her for that. She was raised to be a mini version of   
Raye, and I won't hold that against her."  
The others all stared, and she let out a sigh.  
"So I've never been very fair...or nice...to the brat," lamented   
the 13th-grader in a soft tone. "But I've never meant to hurt her, and I  
mean it when I say that I miss having her around here..." She let out a   
choke chuckle and shrugged, glancing around the group cautiously, almost  
afraid she'd start crying. "I mean, no one rebukes me when I joke about   
Shintos or say something stupid, anymore..."  
Holding out a hand, the Princess gasped. "Oh, Alice..."  
She laughed boisterously, a tear streaming down a pale cheek.   
"And, besides, she's part of the knot, too!" she exclaimed with a choked  
sob. "We're all part of this! She can't leave us in the dust! She can't!  
SHE CAN'T!" Pounding a fist on the arm of the couch, Alice buried her   
face in her hands. "Goddamn that little temple slut... Abandoning us   
like this..."  
Lyra wrapped an arm around her friend's shoulders. "We all know   
how you feel, Al," she whispered soothingly. "We all feel it, too..."  
"How could she?" sniffled the auburn-haired one. "How could she   
ignore us?"  
With a slight grunting sound, Phoebe crossed her arms over her   
chest. "How indeed..." she muttered. "How indeed..."  
************  
  
Car horns blared. Music streamed from stereos. Couples sat side-  
by-side, enjoying an early-evening picnic while murmuring sweet,   
fulfilling things to one another.   
And they walked down the dirt path, a full arm's length between   
them, both silent and slightly red in the face.   
Golden tresses, beautiful and straight, trailed behind one in the   
slight breeze of the spring day. The slowly setting sun causing the hair  
to appear as flowing gold rivers of light pouring from each side of the   
girl's head. Such beauty would have be breath-taking, was her face not   
touched with the heinous deformity of a frown, and were her two green   
eyes not lowered in a stern glare. She looked miserable.  
And she felt it, too.  
She glanced over at her traveling companion, and her expression   
lightened a bit. His short brown tresses were messed by the wind as he   
strode beside her, studying the ground. Her frown faded into a sweet   
smile as she gazed at his soft, emotion-filled crimson eyes. Such a   
kind, selfless, adorable little boy...  
His gaze came up from the ground, met hers, and they both turned   
away, blushing.  
Mentally, Celeste kicked herself in the head. She'd never, EVER,   
even thought about kissing anyone before--the mere thought of hugging   
one of her brothers quite nearly made her gag. It didn't make sense that  
this boy--six years her junior and hardly old enough to be potty-  
trained--could strike her fancy.  
Then again, he was trapped in the body and mind of a child her own  
age. She caught herself trying to steal another glance at him and   
scowled, clamping her hands around the edge of her jacket. Sure, he was   
eight or nine in body, and even older in mind, but he was just a child!   
And she had no right to even consider poking him to get his attention,   
let alone the right to KISS him.  
But he'd saved her life. Her grimace melted into a wistful smile   
as she recalled the wave of emotions she's felt when her green orbs had   
opened and seen that boy... His arms wrapped around her lithe body, his   
eyes clamped shut in a sort of boyish fear, and his little chest rising   
and lowering as he gasped for breath. And she'd felt a surge of   
belonging, hope, and disparity... Like her only choice in the world had   
been to kiss him right then and think later.  
And she had.  
The truth--and she'd never been a big fan of the truth--was that   
she really cared about that boy. Sure, it was an irrational, hopeless   
crush that she knew would never amount to more than a few wistful sighs,  
but he was a sweet, kind little boy. Maybe not a child that was the   
essence of normality, but even then, neither was she. He was one of the   
two Pluto twins, and she was the Keeper of the Nebulae. It was that   
simple.  
Pulling her gaze from the purples and blue upon the horizon, she   
glanced at him and let a smile touch her features. She'd kissed him, and  
he probably didn't care all that much, but he was a sweet, sweet boy...  
He was staring at her, and she hardly noticed until her green eyes  
blinked. She blushed again, the smile disappearing, and turned away.  
Peter sighed and looked away, as well, raising two fingers to his   
lips. Why was he doting on that silly kiss? She was nine, she didn't   
think, and it didn't mean anything. Right?  
Furrowing his brow in thought, the young boy stretched his arms   
and gazed at the bronze of the setting sun. He'd rescued her, and she'd   
been really...grateful. Yes, she'd been grateful, that was all. After   
all, she had been very near death, and he'd saved her by throwing the   
both of them out of harm's way. Of course she had kissed him! With the   
kind of emotions that had raged through the two of them after saving   
each other...  
He smiled slightly. She was pretty. Gorgeous, actually, though he   
knew that Aeris would laugh at that comment. Why wouldn't he save her?   
And she was so very sweet and understanding... A born leader and a great  
asset to the Chibi-Scouts. It made sense, didn't it? She was his leader,  
and his sister's friend, and very kind and caring...  
And beautiful.  
With a roll of his red eyes, he focused on the path. He was not   
yet four years old! How could he be thinking about girls and kisses and   
beauty? He wasn't even four!  
But he was eight or so, right? A good double his real age. And his  
mind was still far ahead of anyone else's... Not even she, that paragon   
of perfection with the molten gold pigtails, would understand some of   
the things he did.  
But then why...  
"Fine! She's beautiful!" he yelled at himself, not noticing the   
words until they escaped his mouth.   
"Who's beautiful?" asked Celeste, her green eyes turning to gaze   
at him.  
Blushing a little, Peter stopped and scuffed his feet in the dirt   
of the park's path. "The sun," he lied quickly, glancing nervously at   
the orange orb. "My mother always said that the sun looked best when   
setting..."  
She furrowed her brow. "In mythology, wasn't the ruler of the sun   
a man, though?" questioned she with a smile.  
He pressed his lips together. "Yeah..." he admitted with a shrug.   
"But I'm not always right..."  
They began walking again, this time side-by-side, chattering   
pleasantly as they strolled through the park in search of Lisa.  
A young man and a large golden retriever sat on a bench, but the   
duo passed them without taking notice that they were arguing.  
"I saw the crystal, Calico!" the man whined, glaring at the dog.   
"You HAVE to believe me, this time!"  
Rolling brown eyes, the animal laid down on the path. "Well, you   
managed to get us kicked out of the Palace for the night after that   
stunt with the monster," he grumbled with a grumpy sigh. "You might as   
well dream about the crystal... Might distract you from the cold."  
Seth glowered at the dog. "I saw it! Why don't you believe me?"  
His pet gazed up at him, annoyed. "Because, Seth," he retorted,   
"you're crazy."  
************  
  
She bounced into the apartment, a smile finally on her face. It   
had been the first time in the two hours since the battle that she'd   
managed to smile, and that was only because she knew she was able to go   
home. There'd be no more talk of Tara until the group reached a   
unanimous vote--one which was still evading them--on what to do about   
the single wayward Scout. And she was glad.  
Kicking off her shoes, the teenager with the blonde curls grinned.  
"Hey, Rich!" she called to her boyfriend, sliding on her favorite pair   
of comfortable orange slippers. "I'm..." And, glancing into the living   
room, she froze.  
On the couch sat her one true love, his head buried in his hands.   
Warily, he looked up at her, blue eyes bloodshot and teary, glasses wet   
from tears. Upon seeing her, he pressed his pale pink lips together and   
forced a smile.  
She gulped and stared at him, blinking. "What's wrong?" she   
questioned sweetly, taking a short step toward him. "You've been   
crying."  
Shaking his head, he adverted her prying, concerned glance.   
"Nothing, really," he lied, shaking his head and wringing his hands.   
"I'm just very..." He sighed. "Could I just be alone, Star?"  
"No." Striding up to the couch, she plopped down beside him and   
leaned her head on his shoulder. "I'm not going to let you get away with  
bottling up your feelings," she informed him stubbornly, gripping his   
arm tightly. "You'd might as well tell me."  
He glanced down at her and sighed, but the hints of a smile   
touched his lips. Lyra was adorable, with her big brown eyes peering up   
at him and her blonde curls flopping down from her ponytail and onto his  
shoulder. He swallowed and touched her cheek gently. "I'd forgotten how   
stubborn you can be," he stated with a slight touch of amusement in his   
tone.  
"AND..." she prompted.  
"And..." Richard ran a shaky hand through his deep red tresses.   
There was a long bout of silence before he spoke. "It's just that...   
Well, I miss them." He watched her as her brow wrinkled in confusion. "I  
miss my parents, I mean," he clarified. "I've been thinking about them a  
lot, what with the anniversary..." He blinked back tears. "It's so   
quiet, here, when you're not home, and..."  
She snuggled up closer to him, her gaze boring into his soul. "You  
can't get so upset about something that was out of your hands," she   
insisted with a sigh. "They knew what would happen and let it; we   
couldn't control that, Rich..."  
He choked back a sob. "I know," he admitted softly, leaning his   
head against hers. "But..." He just let a tear run down his face in   
silence, not knowing what he could say.  
"I know you miss them," whispered the girl softly, sitting up and   
turning his face to hers. "But you need to know that, even if you don't   
have them, you have me now and forever will."  
Smiling slightly, he brushed a hair from her face and stared down   
into her brown eyes. "Oh, Lyra..." he whispered softly, entangling his   
hand in her ness curls. "I love you so much..." He wrapped her in his   
strong arms, then, burying his face in her curls.   
She nestled into his warm embrace. "I love you, too," she   
whispered, a slight smile on her face. Then, her grin widening, she   
pulled away from him. "I think that we need to have a distraction for a   
little while," she suggested coyly, leaning against the arm of the couch  
and stretching out her full length, feet in Richard's lap. "After all,   
we can't have you being all distressed."  
The young man furrowed his brow, confused. "What in the world are   
you suggesting?" he questioned, staring.   
With a sweet giggle, Lyra sat straight up and punched him   
playfully in the shoulder. "Get your mind out of the gutter!" she   
commanded, scowling at him for a brief moment before grinning again. "I   
MEANT that we should have an apartment guest for the night."  
"Celeste?" Richard rolled his blue eyes and sighed. "How is your   
little sister going to provide a distraction for me?"  
She pouted. "Come ON, Rich," she whined, glaring at him. "We could  
take her out to dinner and rent Disney movies. It would take your mind   
off your parents and also let you kind of be a parent."  
He made a face at the second part of her comment. "And I would   
want to be a parent why?" he asked.  
"Please?" insisted his gorgeous blonde girlfriend. "It would mean   
a lot to me if you would let her come... Just for one night..."  
Tickling the bottoms of her feet, he cocked his head at her and   
smiled slightly. "This means a lot to you, doesn't it?"   
She nodded enthusiastically. "Very."  
There was a long pause as Richard adjusted his glasses and pressed  
his lips together in thought.   
"I suppose," he finally gave in after a good thirty seconds of   
deliberation. "But just for one night and--" He was stopped by a warm   
bundle of blonde curls diving into his arms. With a sigh, he hugged his   
girlfriend tightly, and she hugged him back, delighted just to share the  
quiet moment together.  
A pair of green eyes turned away from the sweet scene, and the   
owner of the eyes sighed deeply. "Every time they go and get so cute, I   
feel so rotten," lamented the silver kitten, hopping off the kitchen   
counter and pacing up and down the linoleum. "Doesn't the Mistress of   
Venus know that this is a stupid position to put me in? I'm not a spy!   
I'm a Guardian Cat!"  
And, sighing once more, Cassiopeia stalked down the hall and into   
Lyra's room, content to just lay in her cat bed...and think.  
************  
  
"Holiday Inn?"  
"Nope."  
"Raddison?"  
"None."  
"Comfort Inn?"  
"A big goose-egg there."  
"Ramada? Four Trees? Sheraton? Residence Inn?"  
"No Warners," lamented the girl with a shake of her head. Glancing  
down the long, darkening street, she sighed miserably. Huge skyscrapers   
loomed before her, and they were all hotels. Hotels that the young duo   
had gone to. And gotten an answer from.  
Ambriel wrinkled her nose. Seven hotels, all with dozens of rooms,  
and yet not one of them housed anyone with the last name of Warner. And   
there was only one Lisa, but they'd called upon her to discover she was   
an eighty-year-old Italian woman with coal-black hair and passionate   
brown eyes. She'd scowled at the duo of young girls, kicking them out of  
her room and slamming the door in their faces.  
Sticking her hands in her pockets, the redheaded girl trudged   
reluctantly down the street, the lights of the street lamps dim and   
unhelpful in the dreariness of dusk. Behind her, armed with a small pad   
of paper, was the green-haired child of Pluto, her colorful eyes focused  
on the long list of hotels in Crystal Tokyo. They'd gone through the   
phone book to come up with an unforgiving list of eighty-three hotels,   
sixty of which were within the area they'd decided to search--the   
downtown shopping district. Both girls had kicked themselves in the head  
because they'd let Peter and Celeste wander off together, instead of   
forcing them to help, and...  
"As according to my data, the next hotel would logically be the   
Hilton," Aeris stated, chewing on the eraser of her pencil. "It is   
across the street and on the left."  
Her companion forced a smile. "Oh."  
"Why so glum, good Ambriel?" questioned the single Pluto twin,   
hastening her step to catch up to her friend. "You look as though   
something grave has happened."  
The older girl winked a gray eye at her. "I'm fine," she insisted,  
trying to fake a reassuring grin. She scuffed her feet together at the   
stoplight as they waited for a 'walk' sign. "So, how'd the battle go?"  
Aeris smiled warmly. "It proceeded very well until Celeste decided  
to freeze under the stern glare of the wolf-monster," she responded in a  
cheery voice. "But, in the end, it worked out very well because Peter   
dove to save her from the wrath of the creature."  
Furrowing her brow, the redhead glanced at her friend. "Really?"   
she questioned, doubtful. "I think I saw the rescue as I was on my way   
to the battle site..."  
"Is that so?" The taller girl shrugged and, tucking her pencil   
behind an ear, continued to look upon the other child with her   
mysterious, colorful eyes. "Is the viewpoint from above as astounding as  
one would think it to be?"  
"Astounding is a word for it..." murmured Ambriel with a nod.   
She'd seen the rescue, alright... And she'd seen Celeste lunge at Peter   
and kiss the daylights out of the poor little boy.  
She smirked, glancing at Aeris. What would the uptight, protective  
girl say if she knew her brother had been...well, "attacked" was the   
first word that came to mind...by the leader of the Chibi-Scouts? Her   
grin grew as she thought about the oldest girl, golden hair flying, as   
she...  
Gold! Ambriel gasped, startled. Celeste's hair was an unreal color  
of molten gold... And there was a Girl in Gold in the Prophesy... Which   
meant--  
"Time to go now, Ambriel," said a soft, sweet voice. She jumped   
and started across the, following the girl with the green hair.   
They hit the sidewalk and went straight into the lobby of a   
massive gray building. Inside, the room was covered with colorful   
wallpaper and silly pictures of things like fruit and wild-western   
frontiersmen. Ambriel wrinkled her nose, and Aeris muttered some   
disparaging comment about bad taste, but they both continued walking   
until they reached the reception desk.  
A man with thick black hair and annoyed brown eyes glanced down at  
them. "Yes?" he asked dryly. "Can I help you?"  
Standing on her tiptoes, the already-tall Aeris lowered her   
sparkling eyes, and they immediately turned a dark, foreboding color of   
navy-gray. "Perhaps," she responded, matching his tone perfectly. "I was  
wondering if there was a Miss Lisa Warner registered at this hotel."  
He rolled his eyes. "Come now, girl, you appear to be smarter   
than most kids your age," he retorted, rather bothered by her question.  
"You should know that hotels don't readily give out information like  
that."  
"But it's important!" stressed Ambriel pointedly. "You can't   
possibly refuse us, now! The fate of the world depends on it!"  
The receptionist just chuckled at the little girl.  
Suddenly, the blue-gray eyes of Aeris flared red, then turned   
coal-black. He froze, staring into her mysterious, icy gaze, and gulped.  
"Lisa Warner, right?" he questioned, flipping through the thick guest   
book with an expression of sheer fright upon his pale face. "I remember   
her... A pretty, perky blonde woman--quite a babe, as I recall..." He   
stopped and pointed directly at an entry dated that morning. "Room 618.   
She's scheduled to check out within the hour."  
"The hour?" gaped the redhead, her gray eyes wide. "Are you   
certain?"  
Nodding solemnly, the man closed the book, casting a wary glance   
upon Aeris before continuing. "She phoned just moments ago and said she   
was planing on 'going home.' None of my business, really..."  
"Thank you for your time," stated the green-haired one, stepping   
away from the counter. Her friend followed suit, not daring to speak   
until the mysterious eyes faded back to their normal sparkling splendor.  
Then, she let out a long-held breath. "WHAT was that, Aeris?" she   
questioned, furrowing her brow.   
Smiling, the taller girl pushed the 'up' button of the elevator   
and glanced at her friend. "There's more than one way to do things," she  
responded coolly before stepping into the car. "Coming?"  
Ambriel sighed and followed, silent.  
************  
  
She closed the door to her bedchamber, basking in the sweet   
darkness. A smile touched her pale face. First a battle, then a meeting   
that was...less than helpful and resulted in only a mixed vote and a   
group separated... Nothing had gone right until now, when she could   
waltz into her room, strip off her dirty gown, and take a nice long   
bath.  
Flipping on a light switch, Reeny stretched out the kinks in her   
shoulders and strolled over to the vanity, fingers already fumbling with  
the bobby pins which held her hair in the familiar 'dumpling' shape.   
Sitting at the small dresser, she glanced into the mirror and gasped.  
Above her reflection was that of an older, more majestic-looking   
woman with bright azure eyes and full, pink lips.   
"Mother..." whispered the Princess of the Earth with a roll of her  
red eyes. "I've had a really long day, and I would be very grateful   
if..."  
Queen Serenity sat down upon the edge of the bed, right beside her  
daughter, and folded her hands in her lap. "When I was a child, no older  
than Ambriel," she said quite plainly as she stared at her daughter,   
"there was a book series called 'Where's Waldo?' It was a big hit...   
You had to flip through the pages and find this little, funny-looking   
man called Waldo, and then you had to find all the different articles he  
lost along his trip."  
Reeny rolled her eyes once again and continued pulling the pins   
out of her hair, letting the waves of pink fall freely to the floor.  
"But, when 'Waldo' got so popular, a lot of publishers went and   
copied the idea. It was a good one, I'll admit, but some of the spin-  
offs were pretty corny." She smiled slightly and cocked her head to one   
side. "But the one I remember most was called 'Look for Lisa.'"  
Her daughter dropped her hands from her hair and turned to stare   
at the Queen, one bun up and the other loose and free. "Mother..."  
Serenity shook her head to shush the teen. "She's coming back,   
Reeny, and there's not a thing you can do about it," she informed the   
young woman sourly. "I found her and called her and cajoled her into   
coming back and working here again. It wasn't easy of course..." She   
shrugged helplessly. "But I think I managed to convince her that she was  
still needed.  
"And, as for your behavior..." The Queen made a 'tisk, tisk' sound  
with her tongue. "I was disappointed to hear that you thought Prophesy   
would kill poor little Ambriel. I thought that I had taught you better.   
No, Reeny, to hear that you had decided to take Prophesy away from one   
Gifted AND to fire one of our greatest servants... That unnerved me."   
She shook her head.  
The Princess gulped and ran a shaky hand through her loose hair.   
"Mother..."  
"Ambriel will study Prophesy, young lady," she continued in a   
steady tone. "She will study it, enjoy it, and eventually unlock part of  
it. She must, if the Galactic Sailors are to save the world. And she   
will do so under the watchful gaze of Diana, Carina, Lisa, and myself.   
No one else will be able to decide the fate of this child except me. You  
understand?"  
Choking on a sob, Reeny glared at her mother. "I thought that   
Ambriel was my responsibility... Mine to raise..." She wiped away a   
fallen tear. "I love that girl more than life itself..."  
With an understanding smile, Serenity nodded. "When I say fate, I   
mean it loosely. I mean that I will decide her Prophesy learning,   
reading, and comprehension." She touched one of her daughter's cheek   
lightly with her index finger. "Do you think that Ambriel would let me   
be her mother? I think not."  
The Princess turned away. "I still think you're wrong," she stated  
with a half-hidden snarl.  
"You need to trust in your foundling," smiled the Queen, standing   
and walking toward the doorway of the room. "And you have to have faith   
in angels, Reeny. Angels."  
************  
  
"It's so good that you're coming back!" grinned the little girl,   
hanging tightly onto the small, soft hand of the short blonde woman   
beside her. "You have no idea how worried we all were."  
Her companion, a tall girl for her supposed age of seven years,   
nodded solemnly. "Worry does not well flatter our dearest friend   
Ambriel," stated the green-haired girl, smiling mysteriously.   
With a slight, wistful sigh, Lisa glanced up at the starry night   
sky, smiling as the breeze lifted her bangs from her forehead and   
ruffled her straight hair. "I'm just sorry that I had to leave like   
that," she responded to the two children. "I felt really awful, but it   
was something I had to do..."  
Gray eyes smiling in the pale moonlight, Ambriel tightened her   
grip on Lisa's hand. "That's understood!" she insisted with another   
dopey smile. "Just don't do it again!"  
"Oh, I won't," she assured the child. "After all, I think losing   
my dignity once was enough times for me, and, besides, I--"  
Through the cool night air cut a scream.  
Ahead, near a park bench, was a young man--well, the top half was.  
From waist up, the being was human, and a nice-looking brunette man with  
glasses at that. But, from the waist down, he had the hind legs, paws,   
and tail of dog.  
Two children, both rather young, laid on the ground. One  
was male, the other female, and they were both screaming their lungs   
out.  
"Celeste and Peter!" exclaimed both girls in unison, digging into   
their pockets frantically. "We have to DO something!"  
Lisa just stared as the monster roared, purple torrents of power   
flying everywhere, uprooting any of the park's foliage that was in its   
path. "What can I do?" she questioned nervously, her voice wavering.  
Raising her transformation wand into the air, the redheaded girl   
glanced up at the young woman. "You run for cover, okay? It's too   
dangerous, and there's very well going to be a fight." She forced a   
brave smile. "Go tell Mama there's a battle, and stay at the Palace,"   
she decided with a nod. "It's the only safe way."  
The woman smiled and took off running.  
"Pluto Galactic Power..." cried Aeris, her colorful eyes harsh and  
angry in the moonlight.  
"Angel Moon Galactic Power..."  
"MAKE UP!"  
************  
  
The creature roared. She whimpered and clutched the hand of the   
boy beside her.   
Celeste's day hadn't gone too well. They'd searched through dusk   
for the young Palace handmaiden, not finding her. In fact, they had been  
on their way back to the bus stop when the creature had appeared   
literally out of nowhere and knocked them both across the dirt path of   
the park.  
She gulped and reached into her pocket with one hand. There,   
laying dormant, was her transformation pen. Green eyes glanced at the   
cowering, shaking Peter, and she managed to smile... He was so innocent   
and sweet like that.  
Shaking off the thought, she let go of his hand and clambered to   
her feet, glaring at the creature the whole time. "You listen to me,"   
she commanded sternly. "I don't want to deal with you, because I've had   
a lousy day. But, if I DO have to go through this, I'm taking you down.   
Understand?"  
He--it looked like a man to her--blinked brown eyes. Celeste   
smiled and held up her stick. "Small Star Galactic Power... MAKE UP!"  
Ribbons of purple and yellow exploded into life, basking the dark   
area in an eerie glow. Slowly, Sailor Chibi-Star's clothing began to   
appear around her, and the monster watched, amazed.  
Suddenly, the sound of footfalls behind him alerted his senses,   
and he turned to see a duo of Chibi-Scouts skidding to a stop, both   
looking rather angry. One wore white robes of the purest white, and the   
other wore a black-and-red fuku. He smirked.  
"You stop right there!" commanded Angel Moon, crossing her arms   
over her small chest. "I am the Angel of the Moon, and I will not allow   
you to hurt my fellow Scouts! In the name of the Moon, I will punish   
you!"  
The other Scout threw a strand of hunter green hair over her   
shoulder. "And I am the mysterious Sailor Chibi-Pluto," she spat, eyes   
once again that mysterious tone of black. "In the name of Pluto, I shall  
rebuke your claim to life."  
He roared loudly, and the duo went flying through the air.  
"Starburst Shimmer!" screamed a young voice from his other side,   
and tiny glowing pieces of stardust rained down upon him. He shook it   
off and turned to glance at the child.  
She smirked. "Want some more?"  
He swung a sinewy arm and knocked her against the trunk of a large  
oak tree.  
Chibi-Star groaned, glancing around the area through half-opened   
eyes. Her two compatriots were nowhere to be seen, but they had no doubt  
been thrown to kingdom come by the man-wolf. On the ground, no doubt   
passed-out, laid Peter, his tuxedo cape fluttering in the cool bight   
wind...  
Tuxedo cape? She did a double take, staring. He hadn't become the   
Master of Time (in Training) when she was still focused on him... Which   
meant...  
The garnet orb flashed in the moonlight as Peter pulled it from   
null-space and swung it toward the monster. It groaned and fell hard   
onto his side, leaving the boy time to hop to his feet and run to her   
side.   
"You alright?" panted the child, pushing his top hat farther up on  
his head and out of his eyes. "You got thrown pretty far..."  
She grunted with a slight nod and climbed shakily to her feet,   
allowing him to support her as she wobbled. The creature, whatever he   
was, had already taken to his feet and was glaring at the duo.  
Suddenly, boots clattered on pavement.  
"Freeze, you rabid monster," growled Sailor Moon, pointing her   
sword directly toward his chest. "We've got you surrounded, so you don't  
have a prayer."  
The human head turned. There, surrounding him, were five Galactic   
Sailors, their fukus blowing in the breeze, with Sailor Earth nowhere to  
be seen. The brownish red eyes darted around at the quintet of heroines.  
Nowhere to run, nor to hide.  
Then, unexpectedly, the creature feigned a curtsey. "Hello, Sailor  
Girls... So nice of you to come," he drawled, a bright smile on his pale  
face. "It's good to know that some heroes care about this putrid land of  
yours."  
Phoenix's jaw dropped, and she gaped at the creature. "You talk?"  
He laughed loudly. "Talk, my dear Phoenix?" he asked casually. "Of  
COURSE I talk, dear! I talk, I walk, I dance!" Proving his point, he   
waltzed a few steps with an invisible partner. "But, really now, I   
haven't introduced myself properly," he corrected himself with a sigh.   
"My name is Seth, and I work for the evil, domineering Queen who calls   
herself Ginnie." He bowed deeply. "You seemed to catch me in my most   
powerful form but, no bother, I'll beat you silly nonetheless."  
Scoffing, Comet flipped her hair and smiled smugly. "Oh, really?"  
Seth nodded, tipping his head back. "Welcome to HELL, Sailor   
Scouts!" he screamed.  
And then, he howled, and purple energy shot everywhere.  
************  
  
Galactic...uh, Some Characters Say!  
  
(Enter Ken, Orb, Orion, the kittens and Terry. Each carries a sign that   
says: SOBC.)  
  
Ken: (waving sign) Hi, we're here from the SOBC organization. That's   
SOBC, or--  
  
Orb: Save Our Bit Characters.  
  
(All nod solemnly.)  
  
Terry: (sighing miserably) Did you know that bit characters in this   
series only have about 6.25 percent of the screen time overall?  
  
Ara: That's worse than the odds of Molly NOT being attacked by a monster  
in a first-season Sailor Moon episode.  
  
(All nod.)  
  
Orion: That is why, in the name of SOBC, we are having a Reese's Peanut   
Butter Cups "Procott."*  
  
Galileo: (smiling) On June 15th, go to your local supermarket and by as   
many packs of Reese's as you can!  
  
Carina: Then, send them all to Kate Butler. We'll tell you the address   
as it comes nearer to the day.  
  
Ken: (wistful sigh) Our hope is that, when the makers of that delicious   
candy see how many Galactic Fans love Reese's, they'll come after Kate   
and bop her over the head with blunt or sharp objects.  
  
Terry: Or, if anything, Kate will be so bloated with candy that someone   
like Ginnie can take over the series and give us screen time!  
  
Orion: Remember, it's June 15th! Start saving your money, kids, because   
it's going to be a great day!  
  
Orb: The SOBC says...  
  
ALL: See ya!  
  
*No, I am NOT making fun of SOS. (For those of you who don't know, SOS--  
a.k.a. Save Our Sailors, a group devoted to bringing more SM to the   
United States--tried something like my characters did with Strawberry   
Pop-Tarts. The idea was that, if Kelloggs saw how many SM fans bought   
their product on that given day, then the company would back new   
dubbing. However, it failed. Miserably.) I am just having some fun.   
After all, it's HARD to come up with good ideas for these things. And,   
if you didn't understand what I was talking about, go back and re-read   
it. Because it IS funny.  
  
-I Know-  
Look around...  
(Ambriel stares down at Tokyo from the top tower of Crystal Palace)  
So many things aren't clear...  
(Aeris and Peter stand before the Gate of Time with terrified   
expressions)  
Don't worry, though...  
(Haley smiles and turns a page in her book)  
You know that I'll be there...  
(Orion and Orb chase after the kittens)  
A lot of things are so uncertain...  
(Tara, near tears, bites her lip)  
The future's on its way...  
(Michelle holds Delaney, an amazed smile on her face)  
Look into my crying eyes...  
(Reeny wipes tears off her cheeks while Serenity watches nervously)  
Don't take your love away!  
(Alice slams the door in her father's face)  
  
Sometimes, the road looks long...  
(Lyra looks up at the North Star)  
And sometimes, the world seems wrong...  
(Phoebe hugs her mother around the waist)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(The six Galactic Sailors hold up their lockets)  
  
Sometimes, you feel weak...  
(Richard grabs onto the wrist of a falling Celeste)  
And sometimes, the future looks bleak...  
(Terrence shakes his head as Sailor Pluto walks through the Gate of Time)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(Ambriel, Celeste, and Aeris all hold up their transformation pens)  
  
Times will change...  
(Tara, robes flying, chases Joshua around the courtyard)  
People will change, too...  
(Haley plays with her now-long hair)  
But deep inside...  
(Helios takes Reeny's hands in his)  
I always will love you...  
(Richard bends down to kiss Lyra)  
I suppose there are questions now...  
(Peter tugs on Terrence's pant leg)  
The answers are so far...  
(Alice and Phoebe dive for a floating sphere and miss)  
But look at me and smile now...  
(Hannah and Brian both smile as Alex takes Delaney into her arms)  
I am your guiding star!  
(Lyra and Richard stare at Celeste and Peter, who are watching the   
sunset)  
  
Sometimes, the road looks long...  
(Lyra looks up at the North Star)  
And sometimes, the world seems wrong...  
(Phoebe hugs her mother around the waist)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(The six Galactic Sailors hold up their lockets)  
  
Sometimes, you feel weak...  
(Richard grabs onto the wrist of a falling Celeste)  
And sometimes, the future looks bleak...  
(Terrence shakes his head as Sailor Pluto walks through the Gate of Time)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(Ambriel, Celeste, and Aeris all hold up their transformation pens)  
  
I know...  
(Chibi-Pluto, the Angel Moon, and Chibi-Star stand together)  
I know...  
(The Galactic Sailors stand together)  
All you need is love...  
(All nine girls stand together)  
All you need...is...love...  
(The Prince and Princess of the Stars kiss)  
  
************  
  
Stats are as follows.  
Pages: 43  
Revisions: 27  
Minutes: 876  
Hours: 14.3  
  
See ya next time!  
  
--Kate  



	7. The One, the Only -- The Master of Time

The One, The Only--The Master of Time  
  
Author's Ramblings: Look at this... Nine stories left, counting this   
one. Wow. To think of all the time passed, the time spent, the homework   
ignored... Umm, never mind on that last part, because I would never   
ignore my studies for the sake of fan-fiction. No sir. Really, I   
wouldn't... Why are all of you looking at me like that?  
This is dedicated to a certain guy who probably will not get within   
three feet of this fic (because he knows it's the one in which he dies).  
So it's safe to say that this is to the real-life version of Seth, whose  
name is--of course--Brian. This is for you, Bri-chan, whether you like   
it or not, because I can safely dedicate this to you without you ever   
knowing. Not that you'd care. You'd probably just blush.  
Aaron Wittrig belongs to himself. This is payback for the "SuperKate   
Math Project" fiasco.  
P.S.I am W.U.I. (writing under the influence) of too much of the S   
movie. I have now seen "Hearts in Ice" twice dubbed and about eight   
times subtitled. Too much SM can lead to odd fanfiction. Not that you   
couldn't guess that!  
(Oh, and Dania: You're walk-on is in here. Somewhere. Hope you find it!)  
************  
Once upon a time, in the last fic...  
  
Lisa quit. She came back. Ambriel kept working on Prophesy and got   
caught. Richard was upset, missing his parents and such. But Lyra made   
him feel better. (Ecchi! I KNOW what you're thinking! Get your mind out   
of the gutter!) Tara became even less interested in her 'old' life and   
the Scouts, skipping a locket alert. Orion managed to communicate with   
Artemis through that bond they had, and he gave her confidence. Celeste   
kissed Peter and the author dwelt on it. Ambriel explained the Prophesy.  
Reeny got in trouble. And we left off with... Oh, wait, you'll see.  
  
And that, my friends, is where the story begins...  
************  
  
He howled, and purple energy shot everywhere.  
The Sailor Scouts were completely unsuspecting of the attack,   
given that they had just heard the strange being talk and mock them.   
Helplessly, the group of girls dove out of the way, hollering half-  
hearted attempts of their attacks and failing miserably. A ball of   
stardust exploded in mid-air, a red-and-black comet soared far beyond   
its mark, and a brilliant rainbow little more than tear up a park bench.  
Seth laughed, his barking chortles echoing through the night air.  
Sailor Chibi-Star let go of Peter and took a few wobbly steps   
forward, groaning as she put weight on one of her legs. A sharp,   
shooting pain, originating from one knee, tore through her body, and she  
winced noticeably. Still, she took another step forward.  
"I don't know who you think you are," she spat at him, hate   
glistening in her narrowed green eyes, "but this is where the line ends,  
you included."  
Turning extremely slowly toward the girl, the human-wolf   
combination raised a single brown eyebrow. "Excuse me?" he questioned in   
a dry, languid tone. "You dare to oppose me?"  
With various grunts of effort, all the other Sailor Scouts turned   
to glance at the small blonde girl, her fists clenched at either side of  
her body. As one, they gasped.  
"Celeste..." Her brunette friend, his face devoid of all color,   
reached out a hand for her. "Don't..."  
She tossed a pigtail over her shoulder. "This world is full of   
peace and harmony, and you should not try and harm such a place!" The   
golden jewel of her tiara sparkled magnificently as she reached one hand  
above her head. "I will punish you!"  
With a flash of the purest white, a long golden staff appeared in   
her hand, its radiant color almost blinding the other Scouts. Her   
fuku shimmered suddenly, changing from its colors of yellow and purple   
to one that matched that of the rod, while the pigtails in her hair   
suddenly seemed to fade into nothingness and pull themselves into a bun   
at the nape of her neck.  
Brown eyes wide, Seth watched as she straightened spine and   
touched the butt of the staff to the ground, a slightly mysterious smile  
touching her pink lips. "For I, young Seth, am the Keeper of the   
Nebulae, the spirit of an eternal power harbored in the body of a   
child."  
Peter's jaw dropped. The Keeper? She was the Girl in Gold... And   
the Girl in Gold was his...his...  
He gulped and broke away from the thought.  
"Pleased to meet you, missy," retorted the man-dog, recovering   
abruptly from his shock. "I'm certain that you don't expect to win this,   
so, without further adieu..." He tilted his head to the sky and took a   
deep breath.  
"Starburst Shimmer!"  
The howl cut through the cold night air like a knife.  
Gold met purple, an unlikely combination, as the sheer radiance of   
the attack erupted from the Keeper's staff and met with the swirling   
beams of energy. Eyes watched, Scouts gaped, and Peter, in all his fear   
and surprise of the girl's new, more powerful form, stared at her,   
motionless.   
Suddenly, there was an audible splash as waves of water erupted   
from above, ramming into the creature and sending him backwards.   
Following the water was a raven-haired teen, garbed in her normal tan-  
and-green Sailor fuku, with a cocky smile on her face. "Miss me much?"   
questioned Sailor Earth.  
"Tara!" chorused the girls, rushing to their feet and gathering   
around her. "Where have you been?!"  
There was a loud, pained groan from behind them, and they all   
turned to see Seth slowly rising to his feet, completely dripping with   
the salt water of Earth's attack. "You...stupid...Scouts..."  
An echo rang through Tokyo Central Park as Sailor Moon unsheathed   
her sword and raised it high.  
"Moon... Saber... Illumination!"  
He screamed and flailed his arms, but it was no use. Crumbling   
into a pile of dust, the once human Seth died.  
Sighing, the Keeper of the Nebulae stared at his remains for a   
moment, and then turned her face to the firmament above her, her breaths  
deep and loud as she gazed up at the starry sky. No one spoke, but they   
all looked upon the child in gold, not knowing what would happen next.  
"There is something out there," she stated finally, after a pause   
of silence that was as long as an eternity. "And I can feel it."   
Glancing away from the skies and down to her fellow Scouts, she shook   
her head slowly. "It was so very faint a sense at first that I ignored   
it. It was not hard." She paused, pressing her lips together. "But now,   
it is stronger. More intense."  
Without warning, a flash of orange erupted from the heavens,   
basking the Scouts and the pile of dust in a warm, eerie glow. Then,   
magically, Seth's remnants began to slowly ascend into the air,   
disappearing under the glow of the orange light. And it was gone.  
Taking another deep breath, the Keeper of the Nebulae stared as   
the glistening of color faded into the night sky. "It is Illusion," she   
spoke mysteriously, her tone low and throaty, "and I fear it more than   
life itself."  
************  
  
"Damn!" swore the woman, pounding her fist on the marble armrest,   
the sound of the blows echoing through the chamber. "Damn it! I don't   
see how this could happen!"  
The two others, both of her own age, stood on the floor, their   
pale faces both gaunt from fear and reverent from the same fear, an odd   
combination. "My Queen," began the man. "If you would just--"  
She snarled at him, her brown-black eyes full of hate, and he   
silenced. "Perhaps YOU don't understand, Rob," she spat, jabbing a   
finger toward him, "but Seth was a very good strategist. And a powerful   
warrior." She slammed her fist against the marble again, sending a small  
crack running down the side of the black throne. "I swear, I can't take   
any more of this shit!"  
Sighing, the ebony-haired Tina rubbed her temples slowly,   
muttering to herself. Then, she glanced up at her Queen, smiling   
sweetly. "Well, Queen Ginnie," she supplied in an innocent, hopeful   
tone, "if you would just send me out, I would..."  
"Oh, no," retorted Ginnie with a shake of her wavy mane of hair.   
"I am not sending out another truly magnificent warrior to do this. I   
can't risk losing the truly skilled."  
Blushing crimson, the blonde Rob tossed his head and smiled   
sheepishly. "Your Highness," he chortled, touching one hand to his   
chest, "I hardly think that you should abort the mission for fear I may   
get hurt in battle..."  
She raised an eyebrow, staring at him. "I don't know what the HELL  
you're talking about, Rob," she responded, staring, "but I was   
originally talking about Tina." A sadistic, evil smile crossed her   
crimson lips. "YOU, on the other hand, have quite the mission ahead of   
you. I sincerely suggest that you do not fail me."  
All the color drained from his face and he focused on his shoes,   
embarrassed. "Yes, ma'am..." he murmured, scuffing his feet together.  
"What's that? I don't think I heard you..."  
"Yes Evil Queen Ginnie!" saluted Rob, a forced and obviously   
annoyed grin upon his fine features. "I will not fail you, SIR!"  
She brushed a hair from her eyes. "Much better."  
************  
  
Sighing, Peter leaned back against the headboard of his bed. His   
pale face was emotionless as he stroked the chubby tan kitten that was   
sprawled across his stomach. "I don't get it," he commented sleepily.   
"What's the Keeper of the Nebulae supposed to do, anyway?"  
Galileo rolled his brown eyes and rolled onto his back, smiling   
contentedly as the boy scratched his belly. "Who cares?" he purred. "I'm  
more worried about tomorrow's tuna..." He licked his chops. "Mmmm...  
tuna..."  
The child shoved the cat away and climbed to his feet, pacing   
across the dark burgundy carpeting of his room. "Well, it doesn't make  
sense, Galileo!" he snapped, annoyed. "If Celeste is the Keeper and the   
Keeper is a girl who wears gold, then..."  
"Why do you worry?" questioned the kitten sleepily, slowly lifting  
his head from the warmth of Peter's thick quilt. "Even if that one,   
little girl is the Keeper of whatever, there's STILL not any Master for   
her to be in love with..." He yawned and rested his chin on the bed once  
again. "So what does it matter?"  
Leaning his head back against the cool white wall of his bedroom,   
Peter stared out the window and across the backyard, eyes glancing from   
the tops of the budding trees all the way to the glowing whiteness of   
the moon. Its brightness in the dark night stung his eyes, and he felt   
the cool bite of tears caress his cheeks. And, as much as he tried to   
tell himself to calm down, he could not.  
"I'm the Master," he whispered, voice low and trembling. "The   
Master of Time."  
And then, the moon disappeared behind a cloud and took away the   
bath of silver that had once contained the room.  
************  
  
The moonlight, bright and sweet, filtered in through one of the   
windows in Lyra and Richard's apartment. The eerie glow would have sent   
a shiver of sorts up the spines of even some of the world's bravest   
warriors.  
But it did not really matter. In one room slept a happy-go-lucky   
young woman, her blonde corkscrew curls pulled into a high ponytail,   
away from her face. A kitten, as silver in color as the moon itself,   
laid at her feet with her tiny pink nose in the thick blue quilt of her   
bed. She didn't feel the oddness of the moon.  
In another bedroom slept the teen's destined love, having wrapped   
himself up in the think brown comforter of his own bed. Silver rims of   
glasses sparkled in the thin beam of light coming through the window,   
but he could not appreciate the beautiful color. His slumber, peaceful,   
stole him away. The power of the moon was lost upon him, too.  
Then, sitting upon the tiny balcony of the apartment, was another   
form. A girl. Just one solitary girl, short and blonde and utterly   
ravishing for one of her age. Her beauty was usually overlooked, but   
under the mystic glow of the moon, her tresses appeared to be fresh-spun  
golden silk and her green eyes glittered endlessly.   
Raising her face to the wind, she breathed in the night air   
through her nostrils. It was crisp, cool, and freeze, its purity as   
enchanting as the birth of a new star.  
"I can feel this new power rush through me," she whispered aloud,   
as though someone could be listening to her words in the night. "As the   
moon rises high above me, I know the truth of this world. I am the   
Keeper, and he is my destined."  
The air suddenly grew thick as a flash of gold engulfed the child.  
Suddenly, she had faded almost out of being, seemingly but a shape-  
shifting glitter of glow.  
Stars burst and shot across the sky, one after another, crossing   
the blackened firmament in streams of beautiful light. It seemed as   
though they were but a spectacle for the glittering form below.   
Slowly, the stars faded into darkness and the girl was back, hands  
upon her pajama-covered knees as she panted for breath. Sweat trickled   
down her brow. "How can I control such power?" she gasped, green eyes   
staring up at the full moon. "I've never been able to control something   
that... that..." She stumbled on her own thoughts, searching for the   
right word. "That...incredible." With a shake of her head, she sunk to   
her knees on the cool wood of the balcony. "How can I be able to control  
this? And where does that...that BOY...fit in?" The girl screamed, the   
sound full of rage and agony, and slammed one of her fists against a   
wooden plank. "Serenity save me!"  
"You would expect it any other way?" asked a timid, childish voice  
from behind her. The pitter-patter of an animal's pads upon wood echoed   
in the sudden silence of the air. "Celeste, you should not worry so   
much," scolded Cassiopeia, her brilliantly silver fur shining in the   
moonlight. "All will repair itself."  
Chuckling to herself, the girl tilted her head back and closed her  
bright eyes. "Always the quick answer, eh Cass?" she questioned, tone   
full of a smug loathing. "The only one who could possibly have the   
answer is Ambriel, and even she isn't able to exploit the Prophesy   
yet..." Her chuckles faded away and she whirled around, hair cutting   
through the night air like a million daggers. "I control powers that   
I've never had before! The battle today turned me into something that   
I'm not, and I don't know how to reverse it!" She wrinkled her nose in   
disgust. "It's as though I'm suddenly worth something more to the   
world."  
Her Guardian listened intently and stepped slowly forward. "No one  
knew," she sighed, shaking her head with remorse. "My mother told me the  
story, and no one knew..."  
"What?" asked Celeste, staring.  
"The Keeper was to be eternal," the cat informed her in a stern   
voice, green eyes studying her features without wavering. "But her   
spirit, so strong and stubborn, was placed inside the soul of an unborn   
child."  
The girl gasped and clutched a hand to her chest, as though she   
had just been frightened.  
Cassiopeia's tone became even more regretful. "And no one knew   
that the girl would have to be awakened as a Sailor Scout... No one   
understood, and..."  
"What about Peter?" Celeste pressed her lips together and   
readjusted herself to sit cross-legged. "What of him?"  
Hanging her head, the young Guardian shrugged. "I'm not even sure   
if my mother and father have any ideas," she admitted rather guiltily.   
"It's in the Prophesy, but only Ambriel--"  
"Has the Gift," finished the young girl, nodding slightly. "Well,   
then, I guess I'll just have to hold back these emotions bubbling   
within..."  
"Emotions?"  
She shook her head with a sigh. "I don't know, Cass," she   
admitted, forcing a brave little smile as she cocked her head to one   
side. "It's just that... Well, it's as though the new power and strength  
is brought about through my thoughts..."  
The cat furrowed her brow. "Thoughts about what?"  
Celeste shrugged and clambered to her feet, catching a glimpse of  
one last shooting star in the corner of her eye. The smile upon her face  
faded as she stood, stark still, breathing gently as she watched that   
last star streak across the moon's silver surface and fade away.  
"About a lot of things," she responded, starting into the   
apartment. "And about a lot of people."  
And that was the only answer the Guardian received.  
************  
  
She rose slowly, stretching her long arms over her head as she   
yawned and greeted the smiling morning sun as she had greeted the last   
ten morning suns.  
With fear.  
Pulling her hair into the familiar plaits that were so second   
nature to her, the teen, really a young woman, climbed out of bed and   
threw open the thick red drapes. She smiled, letting the warm light   
flood her bedroom and kiss her face with its sweet touch.  
Since that fateful battle with Seth, all had been quiet. Her icy   
blue eyes stared out across her front yard and out at the street, and   
she traced the path of that street until it faded into the horizon. From  
her spot, she could see the tall, crystalline spires of Crystal Palace,   
thorns sticking out into the blue, cloud-spotted sky. It had been too   
quiet.  
As she pulled on a pair of slippers and padded out the door, she   
found herself enveloped in her own thoughts. Where was the enemy? They   
had been so near for such a long time, a proverbial pain in the necks of  
the Sailor Scouts. And now, in an almost random manner, they'd   
completely disappeared! It was as if the defeat of Seth had sent them   
all wandering into hibernation...or something.  
But that was clearly untrue, she reflected to herself as she   
pulled a mug from the kitchen cupboard and filled it to the brim with   
warm, murky black coffee. Why would they give up when they'd been so   
close to winning? In fact, had it not been for the Keeper of the   
Nebulae, Celeste's strange and ambiguous second form, the Scouts   
wouldn't have had a prayer...  
"Hey! You up so early during spring break?" laughed a familiar   
voice from behind her.   
She shrugged and, leaning against the counter, took a long swig of  
her coffee, evaluating Haley's appearance. As she'd been for the past   
week and a half, the older girl was dressed for jogging in a T-shirt and  
sweatpants. Her brow was dotted with sweat, but she was grinning, teal   
eyes sparkling with light as she sucked the remaining drops of liquid   
from a large water bottle. And she couldn't help but smile back at   
Haley, her slight frown fading quickly.  
"I was just thinking about the enemy..." she sighed, focusing on   
the coffee, still smiling. "I don't know why, but I feel at ill ease..."  
The brunette tossed her bottle at the sink and then hoisted   
herself up onto the counter, face reflective. "Pheebs," she addressed   
her housemate sternly, "I think we've all been at 'ill ease' lately."   
She shrugged, unsure what to say as she glanced at her companion. "After  
all, there was that creepy thing with the shooting stars, and then all   
was silent... Even Alice has been all up-at-arms and jumpy, which isn't   
like her..."  
Phoebe nodded in agreement, still focused on the coffee. "When   
Alice gets that way, something's up," she responded pensively. "But the   
question is: Why do we feel this way?"  
The jogger hopped down from the counter and placed her hands on   
her prominent hips, eyebrows knotted together in thought. "I think it   
has to do with Celeste," she said finally, nodding her head to help   
reassure her own statement. "It just seems like this could have to do   
with that Keeper appearance..."  
"Time for a Scout Meeting?" questioned the girl with the blue   
braids, glancing up and away from her drink.  
Haley nodded. "I think so."  
************  
  
With a long yawn, the young auburn-haired woman, much like her   
friends were doing at that very moment, took a long sip of coffee and   
crossed one leg over the other, thinking.  
"It doesn't make sense," she mumbled softly, her tone rather sad   
and that of one who had lost hope. "It's as though the world has stopped  
revolving..." She wrinkled her nose and slowly picked up her spoon,   
gently stirring the think brown-black liquid in her glass. "And   
something just doesn't FEEL right..." She sighed once again and raised   
the mug to her lips, sipping the slightly bitter drink slowly and   
pensively.   
Outside, the sun glittered in the blue sky, sometimes pausing from  
its eternal warmth to dart behind one of the few white cottony clouds   
that dotted the heavens. She watched this orange orb from her seat upon   
her bed, just thinking gingerly, if such a thing was possible.  
Why would any being, human or otherwise, want to take the Earth   
away from those who inhabited it?  
Because it was there, she mentally answered herself. Because it,   
with its people and resources, was exploitable. In a way, it was a quick  
conquest on the way to take over the universe.  
Or so thought the enemy. Alice smiled and brushed a loose, wavy   
strand of hair from her eyes before taking another sip of her coffee.  
The enemy sure had a lot left to learn.  
************  
  
Metal clashed against metal, echoing through the thick, misty air.  
The sound rang loudly, neither a pleasant nor a tenuous noise, its   
brashness almost painful in nature.  
The young man, his brown hair hanging slightly into his eyes,   
watched over the two who bore the metal staffs. His face was impassive   
as he stared at the duo of warriors, but his green eyes, bright yet sad,  
told a different story. They were admiring and yet pained at the same   
time.   
Suddenly, there was a mighty yell, and the smaller of the two   
warriors swung his small purple staff. It loosed from his grip and flew   
from his hands, hitting the young man directly in the left knee.  
Terry swore loudly and doubled over in pain.  
"Papa!" gulped Peter, red eyes growing wide as he raised one hand   
to his mouth and stared at the brunette man. "Are you okay?"  
His sister, her green-black hair whipping behind her as she took   
the time to rest her hands upon her fuku-clad hips, rolled her colorful   
eyes. "I find it increasingly hard to believe that one such as you is   
the brother to one such as me..." she mumbled sarcastically, observing   
her brother as he rushed over to the man and helped him stand on the   
injured leg. "You have a large affinity for hurting the ones you care   
for, young Peter..."  
"Aeris," groaned Terrence, holding onto a white marble pillar for   
support as he glared at the young girl. "PLEASE don't help make this any  
more painful."  
She flushed. "Sorry."   
The boy, his red eyes full of remorse, stared first at the   
discarded Key Staff and then at his black shoes. The crimson cape around  
his shoulders fluttered in the light, cool breeze that rushed around the  
threesome. Between clouds and mist, a giant white marble doorway could   
be seen, a sure signal that this place was no ordinary area. Quite on   
the contrary.   
It was the Gate of Time.  
"I'm sorry, Papa," he apologized softly, still focused upon his   
feet. "I have a lot on my mind, and I wasn't thinking..."  
His sister mumbled something about stupidity, twirling her Time   
Key idly in one hand as she spoke, but her words were all lost to the   
ears of her family members.  
Sighing, Terrence put on hand on his son's shoulder, smiling   
slightly at the boy. "Accidents happen," he told him casually, putting   
weight on the injured knee and then wincing as he did so. "Even to   
warriors..."  
"Whether or not it is an accident is not relevant," drawled Sailor  
Chibi-Pluto, whirling her staff through the air, bored. "If we are to   
stand up against the supreme evil which is that Queen Ginnie and her   
minions, we must train. And fight with our power, strength, and   
dignity."  
With a nod of agreement, the adult stooped over to look into the   
boy's eyes. "I know that we all have a lot to deal with, especially   
without your mother here," he sighed solemnly, "but we have to keep our   
minds and bodies on the goal--saving the world."  
Peter nodded solemnly, staring at his father. "I know... I   
know..."   
Terry smiled and patted his son on the head. "Now, get back to   
training," he commanded picking the Staff off the ground and handing it   
to the boy. He pointed to a pillar a good fifty feet off in the thick   
clouds. "Just do it over there."  
************  
  
"No, they're off training," the blonde woman said languidly into   
the telephone, glancing at the wall clock as she spoke. "They'll be back  
soon, I think. Meeting at 3? Sure, sure, I'll tell the kids..." She   
readjusted the receiver on her shoulder just long enough to scrawl down   
a few words upon a pad of paper. "Yeah. Got it. Thanks." Hanging the   
phone back into its proper place, she wrinkled her nose.  
"Who was that?" questioned the aqua-haired woman, glancing up from  
her computer screen and across the den at her companion. The tanned   
blonde's face, usually kissed with a sadistic smile, had drained of all   
color and was a bleached, white tone. The small woman raised a single   
blue-green eyebrow. "Alex?"  
Snapping to attention, the tall blonde blinked and turned to face   
her wife. "That was Phoebe Urawa," she told the woman with a sigh.   
"There's a Scout Meeting today."  
"Oh." Michelle chewed thoughtfully upon her upper lip, pulling her  
gaze from that of Alexandra's and focusing on her folded hands. She was   
silent, as was the room. Only a few soft strains of Mozart, emanating   
from the CD player beside the computer, broke the dead still.   
Then, taking a deep breath, the musician spoke. "You miss her,   
don't you?"  
Pressing her pink lips together, the sandy-haired woman was   
silent, unsure what to say. Of course she missed the light that was her   
daughter; who wouldn't? Not seeing her, the athletic, goofy, fun child   
that they'd raised from infancy... Alex wrinkled her nose, not enjoying   
the emotions that were rushing into her head and tugging at her   
heartstrings. She tried to pull her thoughts away from Haley...  
And then, she remembered how awful it was to have Susan gone, too.  
Sure, the mystic Guardian of Time always spoke in her backwards riddles   
and seemed to know things that she didn't plan on sharing, but that was   
half the fun of living with her! But she, too, had left and she'd left   
them all behind. Aeris and Peter, her two obnoxious children, were   
always moping about, complaining... It was amazing to Alex that she'd   
not killed them yet, for they were annoyingly pathetic and unable to do   
much more than feel sorry for themselves. Well, they could fight.  
They fought everyday, it seemed, alongside the Scouts.  
The Galactic Sailor Scouts.  
Alongside Haley...  
The tears bit at her gray-green eyes be she pushed them away as   
she had always done. It was but second nature, now, to force the   
emotions and feelings away. There would be a time for tears, later.   
"Alex?" questioned that familiar voice from the computer.  
Sighing, the blonde ran a hand through her hair. "No," she   
responded softly, "I miss both of them."  
************  
  
Downtown Tokyo was always busy, even on Wednesdays in the midst of  
spring break, she reflected to herself, grocery bag a heavy weight in   
her arms as she stood at the red light, waiting for it to turn.  
Her brown eyes hurt from the brightness of the sun; it seemed to   
glow twice as radiant as normal. Even though she wore sunglasses, it was  
as though the sun was going to burst from its own radiance.  
Sighing, she glanced about her. Masses of people of all shapes and  
sizes walked down the sidewalks and crossed the streets, some more   
attentive to those they shared the world with, and some less attentive.   
Business men chatted with young, scantly-clad secretaries outside a   
café; mothers pulled disobedient elementary school children behind them,  
scolding loudly; street-corner merchants tried to fare well with all the  
various passers-by, often receiving little more than the cold shoulder   
in return for their offers. It was the way Tokyo had always been since   
she was a little girl.  
Why would anyone want to take over such a beautiful place and use   
its inhabitants for evil? Wrinkling her nose, the young woman leaned her   
back against a cool lamppost. After all, the Earth provided for all its   
inhabitants and never harmed...  
Suddenly, a bright flash of orange lit up the entire street in a   
colorful glow. She gasped and dropped her bag, apples rolling down the   
sidewalk and into the middle of the street.   
"What's going on?" screamed a young stranger, cradling a baby boy   
in her arms as she stared at the strange sphere that was slowly forming   
in the middle of nowhere. "What is that thing?"  
The babe began to howl, tears streaming down his tiny cheeks, and   
the woman quickly turned to attend him.   
Reaching into her pocket, Lyra felt the familiar weight of her   
locket. Still, she couldn't risk transforming the midst of so many   
staring people. Lowering her eyes, she focused upon the orange glow as   
it hovered there, doing nothing. It looked so familiar...  
Of course! It was that same exact shade of orange of that thing   
which had caused Seth's remains to float into the air and utterly   
disappear! No wonder it appeared so familiar!  
And then, without any warning, the little orange sphere faded into  
nothingness.  
"What in the world..." muttered the curly-haired blonde, still   
staring after it as she bent over to retrieve what was left of her   
discarded groceries. "I could have sworn that was a crystal of sorts..."  
The other young woman, having calmed her crying child, stared at   
Lyra with wide, disbelieving eyes. "Do you have any idea what that was?"  
she asked softly, her disposition that of a frightened doe in the   
forest.  
Shaking her head, the blonde teen took off down the street with   
her bag, not even bothering to respond.  
Sighing, the stranger kissed the top of her son's forehead. "That,  
Andrew, was one weird girl."  
************  
  
"I'm not going," she stated stubbornly, crossing her arms over her  
chest as she stared at the answer machine. "I don't want to, you hear   
me? I FINALLY have grabbed onto a normal life, and I'm not letting it go  
for anything! Not even for them!"  
The tiny red light on the machine blinked cheerily, seemingly   
mocking the anger of the teen with the raven tresses.  
She sighed and leaned against the wall, still glowering down at   
the small black box. "I know that they're supposed to be my friends...   
And they are! They really are!" She shook her head slowly. "But I can't   
live in a world where I'm the odd person out. Do you understand?"  
The light blinked even more.  
"It's not that I don't care about them," she continued   
remorsefully, "because I do really love them. Reeny and Lyra were my   
first friends... And Alice..." She let another long sigh escape her   
lips. "To be honest, I don't know how I feel about Alice, yet... But   
there's Phoebe and Haley, too, and the Chibi-Scouts..." Brushing a   
strand of hair from her eyes, she focused on one of the many tiny gray-  
black buttons upon the machine. "I just can't have both worlds, you   
know? Besides, the Scouts will always be there," she shrugged, a slight   
smile touching her lips. "We share a destiny." Her smile faded and gave   
way to a saddened frown. "This is the easiest way..."  
One finger pressed the button.  
The machine beeped. "Press 'erase' again," it commanded in a loud,  
mechanical voice, "to erase all messages."  
She pressed erase again.  
A loud beep sounded, and the machine spoke once again.  
"No new messages."  
************  
  
"Alice! You here, sweetie?" called Lita Kino, strolling into her   
large apartment and pushing the door shut behind her. "Ready to go to   
the big classical concert down on Thirty-Seventh Street?"   
She furrowed her brow. No answer.   
"You in here, Ally?"  
Silence.  
"Come on, you've been waiting for months to see these players!   
Your favorite cellist, Aaron Wittrig, is performing today!"  
She warily padded across the carpeting, peering into her   
daughter's large bedroom.   
It was empty.  
Lita made a face and clutched her fist tightly around the two   
concert tickets, glancing carefully around the apartment for any signs   
of life.  
All she found was a pad of paper.  
Picking up the notepad, she smiled slightly at the Sailor Jupiter   
border and sighed, reading the note aloud and to herself.  
"'Had to go to Phoebe's... Be back by five... Sorry I couldn't see  
Wittrig in concert... Take Dad...'" The woman shook her head of brown   
hair and placed the paper back down upon the end table it had resided   
on, licking her lips softly. "She didn't want to see the concert?" she   
questioned aloud, utterly bewildered. "She used to have the biggest   
crush on that..."  
Freezing in mid-sentence, the brunette groaned and pushed the   
paper off the table, ignoring the sound as it thumped onto the floor.   
"Damn that girl!" she swore, annoyed. "She's running off to spend time   
with Phoebe AGAIN! It seems like, every time I turn around, she spends   
more time with that child!" Stomping one foot onto the floor, she   
clenched her fists and let out an irritated breath. "If I find out that   
Phoebe and MY DAUGHTER are doing things that...that any good   
heterosexual woman would NOT do..." She gulped, apprehensive for a   
moment. "I will KILL Amy Urawa, mark my words!"  
Just then, the doorbell rang. Lita turned her glaring green eyes   
toward the closed door.  
"WHAT?!"  
"Hey Leets!" called a cheery, masculine voice from the other side   
of the closed gateway. "Alice said you had tickets to the big classical   
concert and that I could go!"  
Shoulders slumping, the woman hung her head and sighed. "Or   
maybe," she grumbled, "I'll just kill Alice."  
************  
  
"I called this meeting for one reason," she drawled, stretching   
her arms idly. "I want to know what's been going on since Seth's death."  
The Urawa's living room was filled with bodies, both male and   
female, as it had been on several other occasions since the beginning of  
that year. Four young children, the oldest of which being nine and the   
youngest not yet four, all sat together on the large brown couch.   
Sitting at their feet were two young women, one with long, thin blue   
braids in her hair and the other with messy, wavy auburn hair and big   
chestnut-colored eyes. Across the room, sharing the loveseat, was a   
young man and his curly-haired destined love, along with two strange   
cats, one calico and one orange. Beside them, in a small armchair, sat   
the Princess of the Earth, hands folded demurely in her lap, and her own  
Prince sat on the arm of her seat. And then, lastly, was the longhaired   
brunette, legs crossed at the ankles, sitting in a folding metal chair   
right in front of the empty fireplace, looking very relaxed.  
No one spoke at her comment, and the young woman rolled her teal   
eyes. "Come on," she pressed, annoyance in her tone, "you know what I'm   
talking about!" Standing, she stood and strolled over toward the couch   
where the children were sitting. "First, there was an odd appearance   
from our dear friend the Keeper of the Nebulae," she stated, staring   
directly into the slightly apprehensive green eyes of the oldest of the   
foursome. Sighing, she walked away and crossed to the loveseat. "Then,   
there was a meteor shower--a group of shooting STARS, you could say,   
falling from the Heavens that very night." She rose an eyebrow and   
glanced at the young couple. They gazed back, both confused. "And, THEN,  
a certain 13th grader started to get 'funny feelings' and, upon being   
ignored by our psychic Scout, ran here." She glanced at the auburn-  
haired teen. "And, of course, let's not forget our Princess, who called   
yesterday just to ask where the heck the enemy was..."   
There was a long, heavy pause. No one spoke.  
Then, stomping a foot, Haley slumped back into her chair and let   
out a loud groan of annoyance. "Damn it!" she swore loudly. "What the   
Hell has been going on?" The blank stares toward her did not help to   
soothe her unsettled mood, and she clenched her fists at her sides and   
sent an icy glare around the room. "If I find out that even one of you   
knows ANYTHING, I swear I'll..."  
"It started with the Prophesy," spoke up the redheaded five-year-  
old from her spot on the couch. "When we had our Chibi-Scout meeting, I   
told them about my findings in the Prophesy--that the Master, whoever he  
is, will end up with the Girl in Gold..."  
"We all assumed that girl to be the Keeper upon her appearance,"   
added in Aeris helpfully, glancing at the blonde who sat between her and  
her brother. "However, after that glow of orange..."  
Lyra suddenly gasped, brown eyes widening. "That's right!" she   
exclaimed. "I saw that orange thing again today, while I was walking to   
the bus stop coming home from the grocery store..." She furrowed her   
brow, as though she was in deep thought. "The way it glowed, it reminded  
me of the Silver Imperium Crystal, only orange..."  
"I've never heard of Queen Ginnie of the Darkness having a   
crystal," commented the silver-haired Priest of Elysion pensively, "but   
I'll contact Abigail and ask her to do some research..."  
"Abigail?" echoed his girlfriend, slightly suspicious as she   
loomed over him, eyes lowered. "Who is Abigail?"  
Helios shook his head slightly, rolling his blue eyes. "The   
Priestess who is keeping Elysion in my absence, dear," he responded   
casually, not much more than annoyed by the sudden sparkling of jealousy  
in her eyes and the undertone of anger in her rich voice.   
"Let's get back to the Prophesy," cut in Phoebe, resting her chin   
in a hand as she spoke, face that of one lost in pondering. "If   
Celeste's the Girl in Gold, then who in the world is her 'destined'   
Master?"  
The little angel-girl shrugged. "That's the only thing that I   
didn't ever figure out," she admitted softly, shaking her head. "All   
I've been doing for the last ten days is trying to make sense of who the  
Master is, and the only thing I can get from my studies is that he and   
the Keeper will fall madly in love after a kiss..."  
"A kiss?" snickered Alice sarcastically, crossing her arms under   
her chest. "Yeah, right. Love isn't based on kisses!"  
Turning bright red, the young boy upon the couch coughed into his   
fist and stared at his lap. "It could be..." he mumbled, statement   
barely audible.  
Everyone glanced at him, confused.  
And then, Orion groaned and hung her head in annoyance. "Of   
COURSE!" she announced, mostly speaking to herself. "Why didn't anyone   
kick me for not speaking up?"  
"Huh?" Her orange-and-white furred mate just looked at her,   
completely lost.  
Picking up her head, the small calico with the silvery star upon   
her brow sighed and wrinkled her nose. "Peter! It's written all over him  
that he's to be the Master!"  
"PETER?" echoed the group, everyone staring at the brunette boy,   
whose big red eyes were still focusing upon his own pair of jeans.  
Then, Haley chuckled and waved a hand. "Come on, that's absurd!"   
she countered, leaning back in her chair. "That would mean that Peter   
and Celeste have kissed! For goodness sakes..."  
Two of the four Chibi-Scouts both flushed and then turned a lovely  
shade of crimson.   
"Oh my God..." muttered Lyra, her jaw dropping as she gaped at her  
little blonde sister. "You two...are...DESTINED?" She raised a hand to   
her mouth.  
Adjusting his glasses, the young man with the red hair glanced   
over at the two embarrassed children. "Is this what caused the shower of  
shooting stars?" he questioned thoughtfully. "After all, it's been all   
over the news, and astronomers had no idea where it came from..."  
Pressing her pink lips together, the girl with the two long,   
blonde pigtails flushed slightly and nodded just the tiniest bit. "I'm   
not sure how I made the stars fly like that," she admitted softly,   
acting extremely timid as she stared up at the ceiling. "It's as though   
I suddenly control powers that I'm not supposed to control..."  
"How does this all fit together, though?" questioned the auburn-  
haired Alice, first casting a long glance toward the silent,   
contemplating Phoebe and then looking at a very confused Haley. "I mean,  
it's all well and good that the Master is Peter and that Celeste is the   
Keeper and that means WHATEVER in the nice little world of Prophesy. I   
can deal with that. But it STILL doesn't explain three things: why   
we're on edge, why the enemy has disappeared, why there's something   
that's strange, orange and likes to take piles of dust floating around   
Tokyo, and where the HELL Tara is."  
The actress beside her shook her head slowly. "Four things..." she  
muttered in a wary voice.  
"What?"  
"You said you were going to name three things. You named four..."  
"Well, whatever," put in Reeny sternly, flipping a strand of her   
soft pink hair from her face. "We need to find the enemy and crush them   
to bits!"  
Rolling her teal eyes, the sporty teen raised an eyebrow toward   
her Princess. "And how, pray tell, are we going to do that?"  
The girl with the cone-shaped buns beamed. "We split up and search  
for them, of course!"  
************  
  
"Well, if this doesn't SUCK," groaned the large cat, pausing in   
her walk to sit down upon her haunches and glance up at the tall blonde   
man. "We're on a wild goose chase all over Tokyo and YOU'VE landed us   
atop a building in a district that I didn't even know about."  
Lowering his blue eyes, the man glowered down at the talking   
animal, shaking his head towards her before turning back to a small   
palm-sized computer he held. "It's not my fault that we're here," he   
countered dryly, removing his glasses to stare, uncomprehending, at the   
tiny greenish screen. "Tina gave me this and said it would help us find   
the Queen's crystal." Scowling at the machine, he sighed. "IF I could   
understand this jargon..."  
Chuckling, Dolly smiled and bared her fangs. "Rob, dear," she   
chortled, still gazing up at him. "Has it EVER occurred to you that   
Tina's been doing nothing more than trying to screw everyone else up,   
down, and over?"  
He cocked his head at her, blinking.  
"Really," she continued, trying to wash away the obvious disbelief  
that he wore upon his face. "She pestered Arthur to go out again by   
telling him that Ginnie wasn't happy, and we ALL know how badly she   
sucks up. It's blatant that she's helping everyone else to LOSE."  
"But...why..." stuttered Rob, completely dumbfounded. "Why would   
she sabotage everyone else?"  
The cat sighed. "She's not really SABOTAGING anyone's mission,   
really," she responded thoughtfully. "She's just trying to further her   
own case. And why shouldn't she? We all know that whoever's last is   
going to get to run the whole world alongside Ginnie. Who better than   
that ass-kissing, whining, obnoxious Tina?" Her red eyes sparked with a   
certain mirth. "Then again, even if she WAS the one to find the   
crystal..."  
With one more glance at the computer in his hands, the man roared   
aloud and tossed the small device over the edge of the building. Not   
listening to the loud "crunch!" that sounded when it hit the pavement   
after falling twenty-odd stories, he turned back to his pet.  
"I don't believe that she tricked us by sending us on a wild   
goose-chase with that stupid computer!" Kicking over a few small wooden   
tables of potted plants that were set upon the roof, he groaned. "How   
could I be so stupid?"  
Shrugging innocently, Dolly blinked her big, blood red eyes and   
smiled wolfishly, fangs shining in the sun. "How 'bout we send out a   
monster to fight the Scouts?"  
He pulled a marble-sized red crystal from the pocket of his black   
trousers and stared at it a moment. Then, he glanced at the smiling,   
sweet-looking animal. And back at the crystal.  
"Good idea," he replied tossing it off the roof as he had Tina's   
computer and then turning his back to it. "I'm not going to let Tina   
win. There's no way in Hell of that."  
Nodding in agreement, Dolly beamed.  
************  
  
"Why'd they make us split up like this?" mumbled the blonde child   
to herself, kicking a stone that sat upon the sidewalk.   
The Sailor Scouts had all grabbed their lockets and/or   
transformation sticks and dispersed, each pairing off with another Scout  
(or destined love, as the case had been) and starting off in one   
direction. And Haley, the odd Scout out, had taken the two cats and   
decided to go to Crystal Palace to go over some computer data that the   
Guardians had collected.   
So Lyra and Richard, hand in hand, had started out toward the   
park.  
And then Alice and Phoebe had decided to scope out one of the more  
luxurious districts on the outskirts of town in the convertible that   
belonged to the latter's aunt.  
Ambriel and Aeris had voted to go and pay a visit to Crystal Music   
Academy; one of Seth's wolf-monsters had attacked there, and no one   
could be too careful.  
And, lastly, Reeny and Helios had started off toward the downtown   
shopping district.  
Which left her, and HIM, stuck wandering through the business   
district of downtown Crystal Tokyo, wandering amongst the skyscrapers   
and the all-powerful executives, all of whom just stared at the two   
young children. They did indeed look out of place, walking side-by-side   
in tennis shoes and spring jackets whilst all the CEOs and Chairpersons   
of some of Tokyo's hottest industries strolled by, briefcases in hand,   
in suits and coats.   
Honestly, she felt out of place, too, with her pigtails streaming   
in the spring breeze and her knee-length purple skirt billowing out   
behind her every so often. It was not so much that she felt out of place  
amongst all the businesspeople as she felt odd spending more time with   
Peter. They were destined, supposedly, but she didn't like him THAT   
much. He'd saved her life, and she'd saved his, and that was that. When   
push came to shove, there wasn't anything special about the two of them.  
He was a three-year-old trapped in the mind and body of a kid her age,   
and she was a wise, eternal soul trapped in the body of a kid her age,  
and so what? They fought evil together, they won, and they went home to   
their own beds at night. So be it.  
Sighing, she brushed a hair out of her eyes and cleared her   
throat. "Peter?" she asked.  
He cocked her head at her, pulling his gaze from the sidewalk.   
"Hmm?"  
"Does this make any sense to you?" she inquired, a slight smile   
touching her lips. "All this Prophesy and stuff, I mean." She chuckled   
to herself nervously. "I mean, does it make sense that me and you are   
destined just because of a little kiss?"  
Sighing, Peter pressed his lips together in thought, glancing up   
at the blue, cloudless sky. It had rained the past few days, but the   
clouds had cleared that afternoon leaving only the peace and beauty of a  
clear, flawless sky. He smiled slightly to himself, taking in a deep   
breath. There was just something in the air...  
"No, Celeste, it doesn't make sense," he responded softly, pausing  
and turning to look her in the eyes. Her mysterious green orbs sparkled   
back, and he smiled gently, raising one hand to caress his cheek. "But I  
don't particularly care, because you are a wonderful person and, since   
I'm obviously meant to share a destiny with SOMEONE, it might as well   
be--"  
He was cut off by a scream echoing through the area.  
Turning to face the direction of the yelp, two young warriors,   
much to their chagrin, watched as a young woman was chased down the   
street by a giant reddish-orange animal that resembled a lion. A lion   
the size of a school bus, that is.  
With an annoyed sigh, the girl seized her friend's hand and   
started running down the sidewalk toward the nearest alley. "Hate to   
interrupt your speech," she told him urgently as they dashed toward the   
darkness, "but we've sort of got a problem!"  
As they entered the alleyway and leaned against the wall of a   
building, panting slightly, he managed to smile. "I forgive you,   
'Leste," he retorted, a certain amount of sweet admiration in his voice.   
She smiled back for a moment.  
And then:  
"Small Star Galactic Power MAKE UP!"  
************  
  
Two people sat in the same small den. One read a thick book, while  
the other one cradled a small child while flipping through a battered   
copy of Time magazine. Neither spoke to the other. They didn't really   
have reason to talk.  
And then, the one put the magazine down.  
"I once read a history, long ago, that had some Prophesy in it,   
you know."  
The book shut slowly.  
"Really now? What happened?"  
A shrug. "Well, there were these four people mentioned: The   
Prince, the Princess, the Keeper, and the Master."  
"Oh?" The book-reader slowly cracked the volume back open...  
"And the Master had a sister who was the Guardian of Time."  
The book slammed shut. "OH!"  
"Do you get my drift?"  
"Yeah, but..." There was a pause. "What did the Master and the   
Guardian do?"  
Smiling sweetly, Hannah kissed her daughter's brow and turned to   
look straight into a pair of rather confused green eyes. "I don't know   
what the Guardian did in the Prophesy..."  
Face falling, Terrence began to open his thick book on parenting   
once again, suddenly finding himself disappointed.  
"...but I do know that the Master and the Keeper helped to rule   
the world."  
The book dropped to the floor and, with a more amused grin than   
before, the young woman picked the magazine back up.  
************  
  
"For a giant fire-breathing cat," grunted Sailor Chibi-Star,   
somersaulting away from a giant fireball, "it sure fights well."   
Clambering to her feet, she closed her eyes and reached one hand into   
the air, feeling around in the null-space above her head for the Staff   
of the Nebulae.  
Nothing appeared.  
Grunting with effort, she pulled harder, trying to find the tiny,   
invisible threads that comprised the other-dimensional rift called null-  
space. Her thin eyebrows clenched together, and sweat dripped down her   
brow.  
Nothing.  
Meanwhile, Peter had succeeded in diverting the creature's   
attention from the girl and focused all his energy on trying to take   
down the lion using only his Key Staff. It was failing miserably.  
Chibi-Star's comment about the monster's fighting ability had been  
a fair appraisal; with its unusual fire-breathing powers and large size,  
the animal was quite an enemy. Nothing really phased it, not even one of  
Chibi-Star's quite powerful "Starburst Shimmer" attacks, and beaming it   
in the legs with the small purple Time Key seemed to have even fewer   
effects.  
"Could you please DO something?" he hollered toward the girl,   
jumping atop a red-and-white phone booth to avoid the wrath of another   
fire attack. "I can't hold the thing off much longer!"  
Sighing, the girl took her gloved hand out of the air and glanced   
at it, head cocked to one side. "I don't get it," she muttered, blinking  
in confusion. "Why doesn't the Staff appear?"  
"CELESTE!"  
The monster, having grown bored with Peter, turned its ravenous   
red eyes upon the small girl who stood across the street. The purple   
skirt of her fuku was ruffled from the breeze, and she was still staring  
at her glove, a shocked expression on her face.  
Slowly, the giant cat began to lower itself toward the ground,   
posterior slightly raised and long tail waving furiously. Motionlessly,   
it stared at the girl, who remained oblivious to the threat at hand.  
The young Master of Time in Training recognized that stance. His   
little kitten did the exact same thing...  
When he was getting ready to pounce.  
Surveying the situation as quickly as he could, the boy took in a   
deep, shuddering breath. He had all of thirty seconds to save the little  
girl--his destined love, or so it was said--and he was too far from her   
to make a daring dash and the cat was too preoccupied to be distracted.   
In fact...  
He took one long glance at the Time Key, and closed his eyes,   
taking in a long deep breath.  
"Pluto, God of Time, don't fail me now..."  
Peter raised the Staff above his head and took one last, deep   
breath.  
The cat began to wiggle ever so slightly.  
"Dead Scream!"  
For a brief moment, time seemed to stop. Then, there was a   
brilliant flash of reddish-purple light, and the Garnet Orb upon his   
staff brightened. From the orb erupted a sphere of energy and it flew   
toward the cat, sending the animal flying into a parked car and away   
from the smaller Scout.  
Gasping, Chibi-Star stumbled backward and gaped at the body of the  
lion-monster. It was twitching slightly, and some of the fur was lightly  
charred. Then, she turned her green eyes toward the boy who had once   
again saved her and gasped once again.  
Peter stood atop the phone booth, his entire body sparkling with a  
strange red glow. The symbol of Pluto shone prominently upon his   
forehead, and the Key of Time floated before him. Wordlessly, the child   
seized the Key in his fist and hopped down from his perch, slowly   
walking toward the girl.  
And in that instant, exchanging only the soundless words, they   
knew that Peter had, in his own way, completed his training. He was   
finally the being he had been destined to be.  
"Celeste?" he asked softly, a slight smile curving his lips.  
She nodded and smiled back.  
"What the Hell happened here?" queried a loud voice from near the   
body of the lion-creature. The two Chibi-Scouts turned to see all the   
other Galactic Sailors (sans Earth, who still had not appeared) and two   
young men crowding around the body, staring.   
With a sigh, Sailor Moon thrust her sword into the fairly dead   
body of the monster and muttered the magic words without an enthusiasm,   
scabbarding the weapon even before the dead cat had reverted back into a  
small red crystal.  
Taking a wary step toward the two flushed, battle-bruised Scouts,   
Moon raised a single pink eyebrow. "Well? What happened?"  
"We killed the monster?" responded the brunette boy, quite unsure   
of himself.  
Chibi-Pluto, her Time Key clutched tightly in her fist, blinked at  
the child and then managed to cock her head to one side in a confused   
gesture. "There is something strange about you, small brother," she   
commented, gaping at him. "You seem oddly...changed...for some   
reason..."  
Beaming, Sailor Chibi-Star held out a hand and made a grand   
sweeping gesture toward her companion. "May I present to you," she   
announced loudly, soprano lilt echoing through the empty street, "the   
one, the only--"  
She bowed and stepped away from him.  
"The Master of Time."  
Peter blushed and waved.  
************  
  
Susan Meiou froze, nearly dropping her dainty teacup onto the   
kitchen floor. She could feel all the color drain quickly from her face   
and in fact had to grab the countertop for support. What was going on?  
A second wave of dizziness hit her and, this time, she did drop   
the small white cup. It shattered loudly onto the tile, but fell upon   
deaf ears.  
Closing her eyes, she focused her energy and could see, very   
vaguely, her son. His Time Key suddenly erupted in light and from it   
shot the familiar energy of a "Dead Scream" attack. Within her mind's   
eye, she smiled. Finally, he had obtained the power to use "Dead   
Scream," an attack with power and responsibility that not even she yet   
fully understood. Soon enough, it would all fall into place...  
The sick feeling subsided, but that did not matter, for she knew   
what it meant. A little bit more of her powers--a little bit more of her  
unending, indescribable powers--had passed onto her child. A smile   
kissed her lips.  
"Susan?" questioned a teenage voice, and she pulled her eyelids   
open. "Susan?"  
The green-haired woman had not remembered falling to the floor,   
but there she laid, a pair of concerned blue eyes staring at her face.   
Groggily, she sat up, her college-age form responding quickly to the   
command. She took a deep breath and then looked down at the remnants of   
the porcelain cup.  
"Sorry," she apologized quickly, kneeling to pick up the pieces.  
A teenage Michelle Kaioh just gazed at the slightly older woman,   
confused. "Susan, are you..."  
"Just fine," broke in the Guardian of Time, flashing a sweet smile  
at her friend. "However, I'm sure we can fix this cup..."  
With a slight nod, the aqua-haired high-schooler bent over to help  
her.  
************  
  
She crossed her arms stubbornly over her chest and glared daggers   
at the white ceiling of her bedroom. Upon returning home from the Sailor  
Scout battle, she'd stormed up to the small chamber and slammed the door  
angrily behind her, not wanting to so much as look at either of her   
aunts or at her father. In fact, she wanted nothing more than to be left  
alone with her own inner demons.  
Green hair surrounding her face like an aura of color, she laid   
upon her large bed, trying to sort out her thoughts. Her amazingly   
colorful eyes, usually all shades of color and none at the same time,   
were a dark, unforgiving shade of black as she laid, unmoving, staring   
up at the ceiling. They traced the few small cracks of the paint, the   
motion so slight that few could detect it.  
But one did.  
"What's wrong with you?" questioned a certain slender kitten from   
where she sat upon the child's bed table, concern sparkling in her   
crimson eyes. "You're acting awfully odd, even for you..."  
With an annoyed grunt, the girl sat straight up and turned her   
head to look at the cat, her great mass of green-black tresses flying   
through the air dramatically. "It's not fair!" she snapped quickly at   
her Guardian before crossing her arms once again and pouting.  
A small, thin eyebrow rose far into the air as the kitten stared   
at the girl. "What's not?" inquired Ara, obviously confused.  
Snorting, the young child glanced at her small cat. "My STUPID   
brother has a destined love, that's what!" she exclaimed angrily,   
beating her pillow with a fist.   
Furrowing her brow, Ara sighed and looked away. "Aeris..." she   
scolded half-heartedly, suddenly regretful that she'd not revealed her   
knowledge of Peter and Celeste earlier. After all, she'd figured it out   
the minute that Ambriel had explained the Prophesy, and yet it had never  
dawned on the genius child of Pluto. Though, then again, it was bound to  
take a while to set in, regardless...  
But the girl had begun ranting again. "I mean, HE gets to rule the  
world alongside this beautiful, sweet girl. HIM! The idiot child of the   
Guardian of Time!" Aeris kicked at her sheets and sent them sprawling   
onto the floor. "It's not fair!" she roared, tears biting at her eyes as  
she glared at her own shaking fists. "I have been the one to have the   
power and to do the REAL fighting, but HE will get to rule the world   
with Celeste! What in the world do I get, Ara? What?"  
Sighing, the young Guardian furrowed her brow. The world would be  
ruled "silver to white to gold to black," said the Prophesy. And, of   
course, silver was that of the Silver Star, and white was that of the   
mysterious Priestess who Ambriel had mentioned, which left gold and   
black to be Celeste and Peter... What was left for the girl who would,   
someday, be the Guardian of Time?  
"Well..." Ara began, nervously glancing at her paws, slightly   
embarrassed. "You get the Gate of Time, you know..."  
Falling back into her pillows, the little girl rolled her eyes and  
let up an exasperated sigh. "Great..."  
************  
  
Pushing her glasses up upon her little nose, Ambriel smiled   
proudly and closed the book before her. A small cloud of dust billowed   
from the volume, but she didn't much care. Instead, she leaned back on   
her elbows and let out a happy little sigh.   
Raising a small pink eyebrow, Diana turned her head from her thick  
stack of computer readings and glanced at the child. "What are you so   
pleased about?" she questioned doubtfully.  
"Peter became the Master of Time today," she stated bluntly,   
twirling a small strand of hair around her forefinger as she spoke. "He   
finally has grasp of his full powers."  
Hopping down from her perch atop Ambriel's desk, the animal cocked  
her head to one side. "Oh?" She furrowed her brow. "And I suppose that   
you had something to do with that, Ambriel?"  
The girl shrugged innocently, but the wise, knowing smile that   
curved her lips told a different tale. "You know what the Prophesy   
says," she responded casually, pulling her elbows out from under herself  
and laying flat on the floor, hands behind her head. "The Priestess will  
have to awaken our dear Master, and who better to do her job than, well,  
than her?" Smiling, Ambriel closed her bright gray eyes. "After all, if   
I am to help rule the world..."  
"Ambriel!" exclaimed Diana, staring. "How could you possibly know   
all that? Just weeks ago, you..."  
Opening a single eye, the girl shrugged. "I never said that I   
didn't know what the Prophesy meant," she retorted in a low tone. "And,   
if I did say just that, it was most likely to the Chibi-Scouts. And   
they're big kids... They've got to figure it out on their own."  
There was a long pause while the pink cat stared, almost   
frightened, at the large brown volume. Her left eyebrow twitched   
slightly.   
Then, with a deep breath, she spoke. "Do you mean to say you   
unlocked the Prophesy?"  
"Oh, weeks ago," grinned Ambriel, sitting up and winking at the   
cat. "The first day I had the book, actually. Not that I knew what I was  
doing, but something had called to me, Diana, and I..." She blinked.   
"Diana?" she questioned nervously, gazing at the motionless cat. "Diana,  
I..."  
"YOU UNLOCKED PROPHESY BEFORE I EVEN STARTED TO TRAIN YOU?!"   
roared the cat suddenly, hopping into the girl's lap and glaring at her,  
red eyes aflame. "Don't you ever, EVER, do something dumb like that   
again! You could have called the Silence without even knowing!"  
Ambriel suppressed a whimper. "I...I thought I knew what I was   
doing, but..."  
The Guardian raised a paw, claws bared, level to the child's nose.  
"If you ever, EVER, call upon Prophesy again without my knowing, I will   
PUNISH you, Ambriel. And NOT as an agent of love or justice, if you   
catch my drift."  
This time, the girl whimpered aloud and scooted backwards, away   
from the livid cat.  
"But, on the other hand," put in Diana, turning around and   
starting back to the desk, "it's good to know that Peter can use his   
attack, now."  
"So...you're not mad?"   
The cat laughed aloud. "Don't be foolish!" she chortled with a   
roll of her eyes. "I never said THAT!"  
************  
  
"One a-failure, two a-failure, three a-failure, four..." giggled   
the black-suited young woman, flipping a page in her thick manga and   
smiling to herself, as though a sacred secret was hidden within the   
pages of the comic. "How many more stupid-ass minions must I kill before  
I can take over? Hmmm?" She sighed wistfully and, falling onto her side  
upon the couch, closed the manga. "It's amazing, but they couldn't do a   
thing. In fact, without me, they're absolutely hopeless. It's one big   
joke, and... I don't know..."  
A pair of red eyes sparkled from a darkened corner, going   
unnoticed by the woman.  
With another sigh, she stretched out her arms and rolled onto her   
back, staring at the damp marble ceiling. "It's not as though I don't   
want us to win, because that's NOT it," she continued, brushing an ebony  
tress of hair from her dark brown eyes. "It's just that I want to be the  
one, of all of us, who prospers." She shrugged. "They just don't   
understand how unfair it is... I've been working with this woman,   
Ginnie, for years upon years, and yet those newcomers have as good as a   
chance of reaping the profits as I do. It's just NOT fair."  
Suddenly, from the shadows, burst an oversized calico cat, claws   
unsheathed and gleaming in the pale light of the living room. "I KNEW   
it, you two-timing little bitch!" announced the animal, pouncing onto   
the woman's chest. "I KNEW that you were causing trouble, Tina, and   
you're gonna pay!"  
With a shriek, Tina sat straight up, using all her strength to   
throw the livid cat against the nearest wall. Gasping, she hopped to her  
feet and glowered at the feline. "What the Hell are you doing here,   
Dolly?" she screamed, angry. "How long have you been listening to me?"  
Shaking out her fur, the animal growled menacingly at the woman.   
"That computer WAS shit, and you ARE trying to ruin everyone else's   
life! God, I was just making all that up to get Rob and you fighting! I   
didn't even think..." She shook her head quickly and leapt at the woman.  
"How could you?"  
In a swift movement, she knocked the cat away and against the wall   
a second time. "Should it really matter that I want to be the one who   
stays by Ginnie's side? I mean, why shouldn't I? I've been here the   
longest, and your owner--not to mention those other IDIOTS--wouldn't   
know a Sailor Scout from a pastry if it bit him in the butt!"  
Then, in a single fluid movement, the young woman leapt at the   
animal and grabbed her by the scruff of the neck. "You aren't worthy to   
share the same UNIVERSE as one such as me!" roared the ebony-haired   
woman, slowly wrapping one hand around the animal's neck. "You don't   
deserve to breathe the same air, or stay in the same room, or..."  
"Look at you," choked Dolly, her eyes watering as she tried   
desperately to gasp for breath despite the tight fist around her neck.   
"You're so blinded by your own hate that...you..." She coughed   
violently, and her eyelids slowly fluttered shut.  
Smiling wickedly, Tina dropped the lifeless body of the cat onto   
the floor, flipping a strand of long hair behind her shoulders. "That's   
what YOU think," she spat, unexpectedly taking the cat by the tail and   
setting it on the coffee table. "But, you see, only the strong survive   
here." With a little laugh, she pulled one of the drawers of the nearby   
desk open and removed a ball of yarn. "Truth is, you're just not one of   
them."  
And, as Tina exited the room, the limp body of Dolly hung from the  
living room light fixture, swaying slightly in an unseen breeze.  
************  
  
"Auntie Alex?"   
Shoulders drooped. Eyes rolled. An audible groan escaped two   
pursed lips. In short, Alexandra Ten'ou took her hands from the keyboard  
and glanced down at a sweet, smiling little boy who looked to be about   
the age of eight. "WHAT?!" she snapped, slamming her music book closed   
and turning to glower down at the child. "You're a SMART boy, Peter!   
Can't you see that I'm trying to practice?!"  
Sniffling, little Peter Chiba stuck out his lower lip and blinked   
two teary red eyes, seemingly ready to burst out in tears. "I...I   
just...I..." he stammered, gulping back the lump in his throat. "I just   
wanted to ask you a question, Auntie..."  
"Jesus H. Christ," muttered the sandy-haired woman, rolling her   
eyes once again. "What the Hell do you want, then?"  
Immediately perking up, he hopped up onto the single oak chair   
that sat in the tiny room that Michelle too often called her "musical   
conservatory" and smiled cheerily at the woman. "You've known the King   
and Queen of the Earth for a long time, right?"  
Alexandra raised an eyebrow. "Why are you asking a question like   
that?"  
"Well, I'm just curious," he continued, wrinkling his little nose   
as he gazed at her. "If two people are destined to be together, what   
does that mean?"  
Furrowing her brow, Alex sighed and bit her lower lip. "Well, I   
suppose it means that they'll love each other unconditionally," she   
stated, sounding a bit puzzled, "and that they'll be together for all of  
eternity." She shrugged. "All the destined couples I know went and got   
married and had children, myself included...sort of..." With a half-  
hearted sigh, she tucked her knees up to her chin on the bench,   
wrinkling the fabric of her black dress pants. "But why are you going   
and asking me all this?"  
His shoulders slumped suddenly and he swung his legs idly, silent.  
Peter didn't speak but instead stared at the ground, eyes reflective.   
"Well... It's just that I'm... And she's...and..." Then, unexpectedly,   
he jumped out of his chair and triumphantly clutched his fists together   
at chest level. "But, wait a sec, Auntie!"  
Shocked and confused, she just stared.  
"If I'm going to rule the world with her, then that means...that   
means..."  
"That means...WHAT?" snapped the adult, annoyed and extremely   
puzzled by the child's strange behavior.  
His face fell. "Oh my goodness..." he practically whispered,   
motionless. "Me an' 'Leste are getting married!"  
And then, without another word on the subject, he jetted out of   
the room, slamming the door behind him.  
Green-gray eyes blinked several times at the closed door. Alex   
sat, silent and unmoving, for a long moment just staring. Then, she   
shook her head and sighed miserably.  
"He is his father's son, THAT'S for sure..."  
************  
  
Her footfalls echoed as she climbed the many stone stairs, her   
pace rather slow and solemn. The light March wind ruffled her skirt and   
the pollen of the season made her eyes water and nose itch, but she kept  
her steps steady and even, focusing on the building before her.  
It wasn't fair, they'd decided. It wasn't fair for her, one of the  
group, to be able to pick-and-choose her destiny. They'd not had a   
choice, and they'd at least been able to embrace the differences that   
set them apart from every other teenager out there. But she'd been far   
too...too weak, really...to handle such things.  
And, when push came to shove...  
At the top of the stairs stood a tall, lanky teen girl with soft   
raven tresses that were sawed off at about chin level. Her purple eyes   
shone, the light makeup upon her face showing off those large, mystic   
eyes, as she chatted with two other teens. She didn't even notice the   
approach of the visitor.  
Swinging a fist, the uninvited guest connected with the ebony-  
haired girl's chin and sent her sprawling backwards.  
"Phoebe?!" exclaimed the fallen girl, clutching her chin as tears   
streamed down her cheeks. "What the Hell are you doing here?"  
The two others stared before fleeing the courtyard of Cherry Hill   
Temple.  
Pushing a braid from her face, the actress crossed her arms over   
her chest. "Get the Hell up, Tara," she commanded coldly, glaring at the  
girl, "because you obviously wanted to piss us all off, and you've done   
a good job of it, too."  
Shaking, the ex-priestess clambered to her feet and lowered her   
green eyes. "I don't know WHAT you're talking about, Phoebe, and   
frankly--"  
Throwing another punch, Phoebe scowled angrily and managed, once   
again, to throw her friend to the ground. "You've abandoned us," she   
stated, tone level and calm. "You've left us to fight short one member."  
"And you're blaming ME?!" screamed Tara, scrambling to her feet   
and clutching the red mark upon her cheek. "It's not my fault that   
people don't understand what it is to be a Shinto and--"  
Chuckling, the other teen once again raised her fists and glared   
daggers at the crying, agonized teen. "You're so full of shit, Tara,"   
she retorted coolly, taking a single step toward her, "that you don't   
even realize what's reality anymore. It's blurred, and you're the one   
who managed to blur it." She shrugged, placing her hands upon her hips.   
"What are you going to do about it?"  
With a loud, shrill scream, the taller girl leapt atop her fellow   
Sailor Scout and began delivering hard, quick punches to her face.   
Phoebe returned the favor in kind, rolling atop Tara and trying to save   
herself from injury.  
"STOP!" screamed a voice as Raye and the two other girls rushed   
out of the temple, followed closely by Chad and little Joshua. "Break it  
up!"  
With a grunt of effort, Phoebe stood and brushed herself off. One   
of her eyes was already starting to swell, and both her skirt and top   
were absolutely covered in dust and dirt.   
Brushing a single strand of loose navy hair from her face, the   
young actress glowered down at Tara, who still lay on the ground,   
panting. "You are a sorry excuse for a Galactic Sailor Scout," she   
hissed, voice low and dark. "You know that and I know that. But, until   
you give up this life of trying to be someone you're not and come back   
to your senses, not ONE of us will ever call you 'friend.'" She tossed   
her head. "You understand?"  
"OUT!" screamed the High Priestess of the temple, robes swishing   
about her as she pushed the teen toward the stairs. "You can't do things   
like this for fun, Phoebe!"  
Snorting, she turned her icy blue eyes on the adult. "You have no   
idea how little fun I had," she snapped coldly.  
Then, turning her back to the group so that none could see her   
tears, Phoebe Urawa walked under the giant Tor and started toward the   
street.  
************  
  
Somewhere, in the darkest corridor of an underground lair, a woman  
walked, her black skirts swirling around her as she strode.   
"I don't understand it at all," she muttered darkly, shaking her   
head of dark brown hair. "That crystal has been darting all over Tokyo,   
and yet no one can figure out WHY."  
Throwing open a door, she stepped into a small room, very much   
like a recreation room in a suburban house. Sighing, she plopped down   
into a chair and flipped on a computer, strumming her fingertips upon   
the desk as she waited for it to boot up.  
It was then, as she watched her own reflection in the black   
screen, that she noticed something swinging slowly behind her.  
Turning around, Evil Queen Ginnie wrinkled her nose in utter   
disgust, staring at the swinging object.  
"Rob," she groaned, staring at the cat's slowly decaying body, "is  
NOT going to be pleased."  
************  
  
"A crystal?" questioned the young, white-garbed woman, staring at   
the glowing hologram in disbelief. "I'm sorry, Master, but I don't know   
what you're talking about."  
Sighing through the hologram, Helios shook his head sadly and   
focused his blue eyes on his own hands. "I know that you've never heard   
of it, Abigail, and I've not heard of it either, but..." He shrugged.   
"It's out there..."  
With a nod, she brushed a strand of sky-blue hair from her   
frighteningly silver eyes and leaned back into her chair. "Master,   
I have been studying Queen Ginnie for a long time," she responded rather  
dryly, "and I believe I would have known about an crystal."  
"They've all SEEN it," he returned, a bit of annoyance sparking in  
his tone. "The Princess of the Stars, Lyra Mokoti, saw it in a street   
just two days ago. I must find out what it is."  
"But, Master Helios," argued the woman sourly, "how am I to find   
something that does not--"  
He lowered his eyes. "It exists, Abigail, whether you believe it   
or not. And, frankly, I need you to find it." The hologram shuddered   
violently and was gone.  
With a slight, throaty growl, the young priestess of Elysion   
crossed her arms and continued to lean back in her chair, scowling   
darkly at the spot where her Lord and Master had been just moments   
before. "Master," she said aloud, not really talking to a soul, "you do   
not yet know how indebted you will soon be to me."  
************  
  
"Why the Hell did you go and do something like that?!" exclaimed   
the silver-haired woman, nearly dropping the ice pack as she removed it   
from the freezer. "I could understand that you got a black eye from   
running into a cabinet or something, but you actually..." She sighed and  
tossed the cold compress to the nearby brunette teen. "You went and beat  
up one of your best friends?"  
Shaking her head, Phoebe allowed for the pack to be placed over   
her swollen left eye. "She's not my friend, now," she stated blandly,   
shrugging sheepishly. "She's no friend of the Scouts, now."  
"Great way to talk," scolded Marie with a sigh. "Someday, Phoebe,   
you'll be glad you had those friends."  
"No one like Tara is a real friend," spat the blue-haired teen   
coldly, turning her face away from her aunt. "She's forsaken us, just   
like Alice said she did."  
Placing her hands on her hips, the adult pressed her lips   
together. "Or perhaps, Miss Urawa," she returned, "you've forsaken her."  
And, with that, she turned and strode out of the kitchen.  
As Marie left, Haley hopped up onto the countertop and sighed   
wistfully. "I wish I'd had the guts to confront her like you did," she   
said. "I mean, you must have done a great job..."  
"Maybe Marie's right, though," lamented the blue-haired teen   
rather sourly. "I just went up to her and punched her. I didn't say   
anything until after she was crying..." Sighing, she leaned her head   
back and settled farther into her chair, silent. Her chest rose and fell  
in rather ragged breaths, and she could feel her eyes stinging with   
tears. "She should be our friend, you know," she choked, trying to   
swallow the lump within her throat. "We should protect her..."  
Getting up and walking over to her friend, Haley took the other   
girl's hand in hers and squeezed it. "We can't protect her if she's   
going to act like she's been acting," she breathed, taking in a slow   
breath through her nostrils. "How can we?" She smiled a bit as the   
bright blue eyes turned toward her. "After all, she's practically given   
up on everything we're supposed to believe in, and that's wrong..."  
"Wrong..." echoed Phoebe turning her face from her friend's and   
glancing out the back door at the warm morning sun. She sighed   
mournfully before finally turning back to Haley. "But, as funny as this   
may sound, I can't help but think that we're the ones who are wrong..."  
************  
  
"Damn cat," mumbled Rob, thrusting his hands into his pockets as   
the sun beat down upon him and the rest of the city of Tokyo. "I can't   
help but wonder where the Hell she's gone..."  
And then, suddenly, there was a violent flash of orange before   
him, and a small crystal appeared.  
Jumping backwards in surprise, he stared through his glasses at   
the small, glittering orb before him. It was rather enchanting, with   
many faces that all shone in the sweet daylight of March.   
Then, he smiled. "Illusion..." he whispered, sticking a single   
hand out toward the little sphere. "It's just as beautiful as Ginnie   
said it would be..."  
His hand reached the crystal and slowly began to close around   
it...  
And the crystal blinked out of existence.  
Scowling, the young man leapt forward and tried to grasp air,   
falling flat onto his stomach. "Dammit!" he swore, brushing his black   
suit off as he clambered back onto his feet. "I thought I could catch   
it!"  
Then, wordlessly, he tossed a tiny red crystal onto the pavement   
and watched it shatter.  
************  
  
"Shit! That's cold!" howled Sailor Aurora Borealis, shaking her   
long wavy hair free of small ice shards. "What's going on with this   
monster?"  
Fingers flying across the small keyboard of her mother's Mercury   
computer, the plait-haired Sailor Phoenix scowled and glanced down from   
her perch atop a phone booth to look at the group of Sailor Scouts.   
"It's just like the last one," she shouted, one eye still swollen nearly  
shut from that morning's fight, "only it hisses ice. But you have to be   
careful..."  
Angel Moon, who had been hovering behind the animal but three feet  
off the ground, was knocked into a lamppost by the monster's tail.  
"Because the tail will get you," she finished dryly, snapping the   
computer shut.   
Diving away from a long stream of ice shards, Sailor Polaris   
sighed before clambering to her feet. "So all we have to do is beat it   
up?"  
"Obviously," responded the data-minded Scout, pulling an icepack   
from null-space and applying it to her black eye. "I'm rooting for you!"  
"GREAT..." drawled the green-haired Sailor Chibi-Pluto, dodging a   
giant ice cube. "You do that..."  
The monster roared and, sweeping a large paw across the street,   
managed to knock several of the present Sailor Scouts from their feet.  
Groaning, Sailor Comet rolled onto her stomach and gazed up at the  
out-of-commission teen upon the stark red phone booth. "Attendance   
status!" she barked.  
Rather gingerly, Phoenix shaded her one functioning eye with her   
left hand. "Moon and Earth, missing. Polaris through Comet, present,   
with yours truly out of battle." She ignored the other Scout's rather   
bitter comment about show-offs. "Chibi-Star and Peter, missing. Chibi-  
Pluto and Angel Moon, present, with Angel Moon out of it by yonder lamp.  
And the men are missing too."  
"Superb," muttered Comet bitterly, hopping to her feet. "Only half   
the battle power!" Flipping a strand of brown hair from her eyes, she   
raised a fist high into the air. "Comet Crater CLOSE!"  
A pit, full of what looked to be liquid rock, opened beneath the   
cat-creature. It quickly leapt out of the way and spewed ice all over,   
pummeling all the Scouts who were in action.  
Sighing, Phoenix tossed her icepack over her shoulder and hopped   
down from her high seat, holding her two hands in front of her. "On   
three, Scouts!" she yelled.  
"One!"  
Polaris, Angel Moon, and Chibi-Pluto prepared their attacks.  
"Two!"   
Comet and Aurora Borealis took their battle-ready stances.  
"Three!"  
Six voices echoed through the empty street, a motley of voices,   
young and old.  
"Phoenix Heat Flashing!"  
"Starlight Streak!"  
"Angelic Glow!"  
"Dead Scream!"  
"Fiery Crater!"  
"Rainbow Wave!"  
And, suddenly, as the six attacks all flew toward the hissing,   
awe-struck monster, there was yet another cry.  
"Starburst Shimmer!"  
The attacks all hit the cat simultaneously, and--upon impact--send  
a great cloud of dust and cat hair flying into the air. When it cleared,  
the monster was laying, motionless, on the pavement.  
Smiling, Sailor Moon looked to the group. "Sorry I'm late!" she   
apologized sheepishly, "but I had to start on my project outline for   
business class..."  
"I'm sorry, too," sighed Chibi-Star, scuffing her little sandals   
together as she stood beside the leader of the Sailor Scouts. "Mama had   
to ask me some stuff, and..."  
The cat-thing mewed miserably and began to revieve itself.  
"Sailor Moon?" questioned Polaris. "Can we talk AFTER this?"  
************  
  
"And, thusly, your mother broke the taboo." Leaning back against   
the wall, the young woman glanced down at the boy who sat beside her.   
"Do you understand, yet?"  
Peter Chiba sighed and rested his chin in his hands, chewing on   
his lower lip. "I think," he responded wistfully, red eyes staring up at  
the woman. "She was concerned about saving the world from Mistress 9,   
and that saving started with the Outer Senshi, so..."  
"Correct," returned she, smiling gently and running her long   
fingers through his hair. "You do know that this is information that   
should not be told to you or your sister, right?"  
He nodded. "But then, why did she... Why..."   
She raised a purplish-black eyebrow. "You wonder why she pretended  
to die?" she queried, earning another quick nod. "Well, she had you two   
to think of. That Susan was the Susan we both know now." Sighing, the   
woman rested both her hands behind her head. "It's funny, but I had   
never thought of Sailor Pluto as being a family woman, but sometimes..."  
"Being the Mistress and Guardian of Time must be a big   
responsibility," he stated, glancing at the woman. "To be in charge of   
Time and all its facets, but to have the Three Taboos working against   
you..."  
She shrugged. "Everything has its taboos, dear," she said   
conversationally. "I'm the Mistress of Destruction, but I have rules   
that I cannot break. I cannot destroy something that, in and of itself,   
is vehemently good. And I cannot live through destruction."  
Peter wrinkled his nose. "But you've lived through it before,   
haven't you..."  
"I became an infant again and purged myself of sin. That's a bit   
different." Smiling gently at the boy, Hannah Tomoe-Hartford climbed to   
her feet and patted him on the head. "But, do you understand why you're   
destined to help control Time?"  
"It's in the bloodline?" he questioned, still unsure.  
Laughing good-naturedly, she shook her head slowly. "Because you   
and your sister are special, special children, and are the only ones   
able to know how to use the Three Taboos..." With a sigh, she cocked her  
head toward the boy and smiled more sadly than before. "Though Alexandra  
will argue otherwise, you are both so much like your mother that I know   
the world is in safe hands." She shook her head once again. "You have   
the ability to use discretion and power hand-in-hand... And you will, as  
the ruler of the Earth."  
Peter furrowed his brow. "I still don't get it, really, Hannah,"   
he admitted sheepishly.   
She smiled and bent down, kissing his brow gently. "Someday, dear   
Peter," she whispered, "you will."  
************  
  
Sailor Scouts Say!  
  
(Enter Tara, all by herself.)  
  
Tara: I would like to defend myself.  
  
(Booing from audience.)  
  
Tara: (frantically) Come on! I mean, they're making me out to be the bad   
guy, and I'm NOT!  
  
(Enter Butler, omnipotent writer-god of all things beautiful. Crowd   
begins to cheer.)  
  
Butler: (crossing arms under her...uhh..."talent") Oh, really? Well,   
let's see... You've beaten up Phoebe, forsaken the Scouts, forsaken your  
religion, hung out with sucky minor characters who everyone will forget   
about, and...and...  
  
Tara: (cutting in) And who the Hell do you think wrote me like that?!  
  
(Audience stops its cheering. Everyone glances at a rather red-faced   
Butler. Kanji for "who?" scrolls behind her head.)  
  
Butler: (sheepishly) Uhh... Well... That is to say...  
  
Tara: (triumphant) See? I ONLY do what the author tells me!  
  
Butler: (snapping) Still, it's not MY fault that you are a suck-butt   
character to begin with!   
  
Tara: (mad) Oh yeah?  
  
Butler: YEAH!  
  
Tara: (madder) OH YEAH?  
  
(Everything goes black.)  
  
Voice: I'm sorry. Due to Butler Stupidity (TM), we are unable to   
continue this segment. Please reboot and pray for the best. Thank you.  
  
(Click.)   
  
-I Know-  
Look around...  
(Ambriel stares down at Tokyo from the top tower of Crystal Palace)  
So many things aren't clear...  
(Aeris and Peter stand before the Gate of Time with terrified   
expressions)  
Don't worry, though...  
(Haley smiles and turns a page in her book)  
You know that I'll be there...  
(Orion and Orb chase after the kittens)  
A lot of things are so uncertain...  
(Tara, near tears, bites her lip)  
The future's on its way...  
(Michelle holds Delaney, an amazed smile on her face)  
Look into my crying eyes...  
(Reeny wipes tears off her cheeks while Serenity watches nervously)  
Don't take your love away!  
(Alice slams the door in her father's face)  
  
Sometimes, the road looks long...  
(Lyra looks up at the North Star)  
And sometimes, the world seems wrong...  
(Phoebe hugs her mother around the waist)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(The six Galactic Sailors hold up their lockets)  
  
Sometimes, you feel weak...  
(Richard grabs onto the wrist of a falling Celeste)  
And sometimes, the future looks bleak...  
(Terrence shakes his head as Sailor Pluto walks through the Gate of Time)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(Ambriel, Celeste, and Aeris all hold up their transformation pens)  
  
Times will change...  
(Tara, robes flying, chases Joshua around the courtyard)  
People will change, too...  
(Haley plays with her now-long hair)  
But deep inside...  
(Helios takes Reeny's hands in his)  
I always will love you...  
(Richard bends down to kiss Lyra)  
I suppose there are questions now...  
(Peter tugs on Terrence's pant leg)  
The answers are so far...  
(Alice and Phoebe dive for a floating sphere and miss)  
But look at me and smile now...  
(Hannah and Brian both smile as Alex takes Delaney into her arms)  
I am your guiding star!  
(Lyra and Richard stare at Celeste and Peter, who are watching the   
sunset)  
  
Sometimes, the road looks long...  
(Lyra looks up at the North Star)  
And sometimes, the world seems wrong...  
(Phoebe hugs her mother around the waist)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(The six Galactic Sailors hold up their lockets)  
  
Sometimes, you feel weak...  
(Richard grabs onto the wrist of a falling Celeste)  
And sometimes, the future looks bleak...  
(Terrence shakes his head as Sailor Pluto walks through the Gate of Time)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(Ambriel, Celeste, and Aeris all hold up their transformation pens)  
  
I know...  
(Chibi-Pluto, the Angel Moon, and Chibi-Star stand together)  
I know...  
(The Galactic Sailors stand together)  
All you need is love...  
(All nine girls stand together)  
All you need...is...love...  
(The Prince and Princess of the Stars kiss)  
************  
  
I'm not going through the stats, because I slacked off and they're   
bad...  
  
In other news, I recommend that everyone sees SMS at least once, because  
it's AWESOME! Michiru ("Michelle") just kicks butt, and the Witches 5   
are all idiots! But funny, no less!  
  
--Kate  
  
QUOTE OF THE DAY (credit Neon Genesis Evangelion):  
Asuka: You're thinking in Japanese, aren't you?  
Shinji: Uhh...  
Asuka: If you MUST think, at least do it in German!  
Shinji: Okay... Strudel... Bratwurst... Ummm...  
Asuka: Never mind! Change language to Japanese! 


	8. And the Chibi-Scouts Learn to Cope

And the Chibi-Scouts Learn to Cope...  
  
Author's Ramblings: In case you're all wondering why I've been so...  
sporadic...in posting, it's because I've been watching too much anime.   
SMS, Weiss Kreuz, His and Her Circumstances, Neon Genesis Evangelion,   
Kenshin, and so forth. And, in my watching, I've been neglecting all   
things Galactic. Please, please forgive me. Onegai, minna. I didn't   
mean anything by it... Really, I didn't... ::sigh::  
Landis doesn't belong to me. ::snicker:: Oh, no. She doesn't. She's   
herself... ::snicker 2::  
************  
Last time:  
  
That's right: Celeste and Peter are destined, and (finally) the young   
Master of Freakin' Time can use "Dead Scream." Phoebe got into a fight   
with Tara, because Tara has been ignoring the Scouts. Yadda, yadda.   
Nothing interesting. Tina strangled Rob's cat. Rob has yet to know about  
it. Yay.  
  
And that, my friends, is where the story begins...  
************  
  
"Another monster, dead..." sighed the young man, brushing a blonde   
hair from his eyes and trudging down the hallway. "I can't believe those  
Scouts! Always killing off my creatures! Always!" He screamed aloud and   
paused in his walk just long enough to kick the wall. "They are nothing   
more than thorns in my side, really!" Then sighing, he began to further   
stride down the hallway, brow wrinkled in thought.   
Popping out of her bedroom, Tina smiled warmly toward the man,   
stretching her long arms over her head and yawning rather contentedly.   
"Good morning, Rob!" she chirped, studying his face with her sweet brown  
eyes. Seeing that his expression was glum, she frowned and wrinkled her   
nose. "You don't seem too cheery, today."  
He glanced toward her and raised a single eyebrow. She wore a   
tiny, sleek black tank top and a pair of large, baggy blue cotton pants.  
A slight smile touched his face. "You seem to be happy, this morning,"   
he responded good-naturedly, once again studying the black floor before   
him. "Don't you worry about the Scouts?"  
"Why should I? That's YOUR department!" She chuckled, raising a   
single hand to her mouth as he frowned at her. "Oh, sorry," she quickly   
apologized rather sheepishly. "I didn't want that to sound rude! I just   
meant that... Well..." Tossing her shoulder-length hair cheerily, she   
shrugged. "I had a good day yesterday, that's all!" She stopped at a   
nearby doorway and pressed the open button quickly. "Well, see you   
later!"  
"Later..." he echoed rather half-hearted, watching the door slide   
quickly shut behind his co-worker. Once he was certain that she was   
behind the thick stone surface, he let out a sigh and scratched the back  
of his neck. "What the Hell is wrong with her?" he questioned himself   
aloud, starting back down the hallway toward the "living room" area.   
"You would think that she'd just rid the world of the Sailor Scouts or   
something..."  
Sighing in bewilderment, he pressed the open button on the living   
room door and smiled, stepping into the room and taking a deep,   
contented breath. Then, as the door shut, he sniffed the air more   
carefully than before.   
Rob made a face of disgust. "It smells of..." He closed his blue   
eyes and took in one last breath. "Rotting flesh?"  
And then, opening his eyes once again and glancing at the small,   
furry body that dangled from a single strand of yarn, he screamed.  
************  
  
"It's been a busy week," commented the curly-haired 12th grader   
with a long sigh, leaning up against the bank of blue-painted lockers.   
"Two of those cat monsters, neither of which causes any problems, and   
still no sign of the enemy becoming overly aggressive." She wrinkled her  
nose, dissatisfied. "It's like those stupid badguys are afraid of us!"  
Brown eyes glancing down the corridor of Crossroads School, Alice   
Kino licked her parched lips and stared sadly at a tall, laughing girl.   
"And Tara has still remained aloof..."  
Lyra raised an eyebrow and glanced at her friend. "Hmm?"  
Turning slightly red, the older girl quickly waved a hand.   
"Nothing at all!" she replied quickly, turning her attention to opening   
her locker. "I was just thinking that you're right. Totally right, in   
fact, and..." She stopped and stared at the contents of her locker,   
jawing dropping.  
"And?" repeated the short girl, peering after her friend into the   
small space. Then, expression going from confused to amused, she smiled   
and held back a chuckle.  
Pulling the bouquet of roses from her locker, the other girl made   
a face and tossed them against the nearest wall. "It's really NOT funny,  
Lyra," she protested, ensuring that the rather large picture of Todd   
Walker followed the same trajectory as its partner, the flowers. "That   
little maggot will NOT stop it with the stupid prom invitations! When   
will he understand that I'm not interested?"  
"When pigs fly and my mother stops calling at midnight?" retorted   
the blonde teen, still chuckling. Receiving a stern glare in return, she   
shrugged and cocked her head to one side. "Jeez, Al, you worry too much   
about all sorts of things! Life's too short!"  
"For you, maybe," sighed the older of the two, removing a few   
textbooks from her locker and sliding them into her bookbag. "Sometimes,  
the days go on forever, and I feel myself falling into a hole that I   
can't get out of..."  
Sighing, Lyra put a gentle hand on her friend's shoulder. "Maybe   
so," she responded sympathetically, smile full of compassion and caring.  
"But you do know that we're all around to bail you out, right?"  
"Right..."  
"Hi-ya, Sis!" chimed a voice suddenly, and both girls jumped in   
surprise before finding themselves glancing down upon a short, grinning   
nine-year-old with gold pigtails. "Funny meeting you here!"  
Mouth falling slightly open, the curly-haired teen stared.   
"Celeste? What in heaven's name are you doing here?"  
"Miss Mokoti!" called a loud, chipper voice from the other end of   
the hall. A rather tall girl with brownish-gold hair and green eyes came  
skidding to a stop in front of the threesome and smiled sweetly. "There   
you are!" Blinking, she glanced at both the older teens. "And you found   
Lyra and Alice! How cool!"  
Groaning, the latter of the two mentioned slammed her locker door   
shut and flipped her wavy hair over her shoulders. "If it isn't Landis-  
the-student-counsel-goody-goody," she muttered, getting an elbow in the   
ribcage from Lyra in return for her kind words. Coughing, she forced a   
large grin. "I mean, 'howdy, Landis!'"   
With a nod of acknowledgement, the tall girl turned toward Lyra   
and seized both of her hands. "How does it feel to have a little sister   
who passed the junior high entrance exams three years early, Lyra?" she   
questioned, large eyes glowing with excitement. "All of us at the   
Student Counsel just couldn't believe that a nine-year-old made such   
high scores! Aren't you pleased?"  
Lyra just blinked.  
"SHE made Junior High?" coughed Alice, suppressing a laugh. "Come   
on! She hardly can do anything when it's time to being a Sc..." She   
froze and swallowed her word. "That is to say, when we...we, ummm..."  
Landis raised an eyebrow and then, shrugging, laughed aloud.   
"Well, whatever the case, we've got a genius in our mists!" she giggled,  
musing the youngest girl's hair. "Isn't that right, kiddo?"  
Nodding slightly, the green-eyed child stared at her shoes,   
fingers idly tracing the hem of her uniform top. "Right, Miss Landis..."  
she mumbled half-heartedly.  
"Well, we're off!" exclaimed the Student Counsel President,   
grabbing hold of Celeste's hand and starting off down the hallway. "I've  
got to show her to first period, or else I'm toast!"  
With a roll of her eyes, Alice slung her bookbag over her shoulder  
and sighed. "Can you BELIEVE that girl, anymore?" she asked of Lyra,   
shaking her head. "It seems that, every time I'm stuck talking to   
Landis, she gets STUPIDER!"  
Lyra wrinkled her nose and bit her lower lip, staring off after   
the strange duo. "That's nice..." she muttered, eyebrows knitting   
slightly together.   
"Are you okay? You're acting really strange..." The 13th grader   
cocked her head to one side and gazed at her friend in confusion. "Is   
this about Celeste's test?"  
Shrugging, the short blonde girl turned and started down the   
hallway. "I don't know..." she whispered more to herself than to her   
companion. "Something is odd..."  
And it was all Alice could do to keep up with her.  
************  
  
"It's a good idea, really, it is," he sighed, running a hand   
through his shaggy brown hair as he bent down and looked the little girl  
in the eyes. They were a dark, fathomless gray. "You don't have normal   
interaction with other children, and every child needs friends..."  
She crossed her arms and looked away, studying the bland tan tile   
that covered the floor of the small second-grade classroom. "I have   
companionship, father," she growled, tone dark and filled with anger. "I  
find that companionship in my brother, and in Celeste, and in Ambriel. I  
find that companionship in the kittens and in my aunts." Turning her   
face to his, she bit her lower lip and held back the tears that were   
welling up in her eyes. "And I find that companionship in you..."  
Shaking his head, Terry planted a kiss on her forehead and   
straightened her knee-length blue skirt. "You can do this, Aeris," he   
smiled, ruffling her long hair. "You're a strong, stubborn girl and you   
always use that kind of thing to your advantage. Second grade should be   
a breeze for you, sweetheart."  
With a half-hearted nod, the little girl crossed the classroom and  
took the last empty desk, her new classmates all crowding around her and  
asking questions. Smiling slightly, Terrence stood and started for the   
door, where two others stood, waiting.   
"You did the right thing with her, Terry," smiled the shorter of   
the two women, patting him gently on the shoulder. "I didn't think that   
Peter would take it so well, though..."  
The taller woman tossed her sandy blonde hair triumphantly and   
flashed the man a knowing smile. "Well, I'm glad that both of them are   
finally IN school," she stated, starting down the hallway, hand-in-hand   
with the other woman as they walked. "I'm so sick of those children."  
"Alex!" scolded the short, aqua-haired woman, lowering her blue   
eyes. "How could you say something like that?"  
Tossing her head, the Mistress of the Heavens shrugged casually.   
"I don't like children," came her bland reply as she let go of her   
wife's hand and began down the hallway at a faster pace than previously.  
"In fact, I never really have..."  
Michelle froze in mid-step, staring after her partner. "What in   
the world..." she breathed, blinking in amazement as she watched the   
woman leave. "How could... What in the world... Alex?"  
With a sigh, Terry patted his 'sister-in-law' gently on the back   
and sighed. "Michelle, I'm sure that she's fine..."  
"She's been acting oddly ever since Haley left," responded the   
woman, glancing up at her friend. "It's bothering her, but she won't   
admit it..."  
"She's Alex, after all," laughed the young man with a shrug.   
"Hasn't she always been like that?"  
Nodding solemnly, Michelle just forced a smile. "I guess..."  
************  
  
"You've been quiet of late," commented the small black kitten,   
gently licking the sand from between the pads of her feet as she glanced  
up at the small girl. The girl continued to swing idly on the single   
wooden board as her pet spoke. Carina dropped her paw to the ground and   
cocked her head to the side, ears perking out. "You alright?"  
Sighing, the child leaned far back, letting her long red braid of  
hair nearly scrape the dirt as she swung. "I just wonder where I came   
from," she responded, voice reflective and rather wistful. "The others   
all know their true natures, and then there's me..." She suddenly sat   
straight up, digging her heels into the warm Earth and staring down at   
her cat. "I don't get it," stated she firmly. "How is that I can be the   
only ambiguous case?"  
With a slight smile, the little kitten winked a single blue eye.   
"Maybe that's your destiny," she suggested with a shrug, once again   
focusing on her paw. "After all, the two children of the Guardian of   
Time are to control Time, so..."  
"Still, where is my mother?" asked Ambriel mournfully, cupping her  
chin in her hands. "Why did she abandon me? Why don't the others care?"  
Her Guardian froze. "What?"  
"Am I wrong to assume that they don't care?" questioned the girl   
coldly, standing and crossing over to the sandbox and gazing longingly   
at the small castle she'd built there but a few moments before.   
"Somehow, I think not. It's obvious that all they care for is   
themselves."  
"Themselves?" queried the cat quickly, following her charge across  
the tiny courtyard as she spoke. "I think they care about you... After   
all, you're a Chibi-Scout, too, and they're like you are..."  
Ambriel sank slowly to her knees in the sand, the damp earth   
dirtying her white royal gown as she did so. "They don't care!" she   
exclaimed, tears welling in her gray eyes as she stared at the castle.   
"No one does! I have no mother or father! All I am is Fate's little   
pawn! Fate's pawn!" She slammed her fist into the sandcastle and burst   
out sobbing, tears cascading down her cheeks. "They don't care! No one   
cares!"  
Hopping into the box and standing atop the ruined building, the   
kitten lowered her voice to a growl. "You listen to me, Priestess of the  
Silver Moon," commanded she sternly, eyes lowered to a glare. "You THINK  
that they don't care, but they do! You don't want them to care, because   
you're afraid of what real love is! You think you're alone, so you lie   
to yourself and you believe yourself! You can't be doing that, Ambriel!   
You can't!"  
"What would you know?" countered the girl quickly, returning the   
glare in kind. "You're nothing more than Diana's little apprentice!   
Diana's little lackey and partner in crime!"  
Eyes filling with tears, the little cat turned away from her   
charge, staring at the ground wordless. Ambriel gasped and covered her   
mouth, suddenly aware of the scathing accusation her words carried and   
reached over to stroke the animal's fur.  
With a choked sob, Carina jumped up and ran across the courtyard   
and into Crystal Palace, not once looking back.  
"Why..." The girl looked at her trembling white hands and felt her  
own eyes once again fill up with tears. "Why did I say something like   
that? She's my best friend..." Pressing her lips together, she brushed a  
strand of hair from her face and glanced up at the sky, the morning sun   
smiling down upon her. "Aren't we all just Fate's pawns, in the end?"   
she questioned softly. "Aren't we?"  
The rustling wind of spring held no answer.  
************  
  
"How in the world did she make junior high so soon, that's what I   
want to know!" exclaimed Alice, slamming her can of Diet Coke onto the   
tabletop. "I mean, I understand that she is a very, very smart girl, but  
smart enough to make the sixth grade? That, I don't know..."  
Shrugging, her blonde companion just stared down at her potato   
chips, brown eyes not looking up. "I think that she knows something that  
we don't about all this..." sighed the teen sadly, taking a single chip   
from its bag and glancing at it. "I think something's wrong with this   
picture, but I can't..."  
"It's SOOOOO awful!" screamed a voice from the other end of the   
cafeteria, and both girls glanced up. Running toward their little four-  
person table was Landis, hair flying behind her as she flailed her arms   
and tore across the room. "You two won't BELIEVE what I heard in the   
teacher's offices!"  
Rolling her eyes, the older of the two teens leaned back in her   
chair and tucked her hands behind her neck casually. "Suzie broke up   
with Evan after he kissed Marie on the neck but he claimed it wasn't   
cheating since Marie was going out with Bob?" she asked rhetorically,   
not even glancing at the tall girl.  
The Student Counsel Officer raised a slender eyebrow in the d  
irection of the sarcastic teen. "Is she feeling okay, Lyra?"   
The third teen just shrugged.  
With an exasperated sigh, Landis then plopped down into one of the  
remaining two chairs. "It's awful!" she announced loudly, burying her   
head in her hands. "The teacher's board that reviews the junior high   
entrance grades said that Celeste got a perfect score!" Shaking her head  
slowly, she sniffled. "It's AWFUL!"  
"Awful?" questioned Alice, staring at the downtrodden teen. "How   
is getting a perfect score so bad?"  
Pulling her head from her hands, Landis shot her a confused look.   
"You mean you DON'T know?" she questioned in downright disbelief. "If a   
child aces the exam, it's automatic grounds for a full investigation!"  
Lyra choked on her potato chips. "You mean... That is to say..."   
she stammered, eyes wide. "They... They think my sister CHEATED?"  
"Yeah!" responded Landis in a loud whine. "Isn't that AWFUL? They   
think that sweet little girl must have gotten her hands on the answer   
key or something..."   
"Makes full sense to me," mumbled Alice under her breath,   
warranting a very angry stare from her friend and the uninvited guest.   
She shrugged and sat up straight. "Well, I'm sorry, but it makes sense!"  
she argued. "Celeste is a sweet kid, and smart, yes, but to an extent.   
Making it into here was amazing, considering the fact that children   
under ten need to be in the top...umm..."  
Landis rolled her eyes. "Five..."  
"Five percentiles on everything," she continued with a nod toward   
the Student Counsel girl. "That's amazing of itself, but the acing of   
it... That's cheating, if I've ever heard it..."  
Standing straight up and knocking her chair over, Lyra glared   
daggers at her friend. "I don't BELIEVE you, Alice!" she shot angrily.   
"How can you say that? She's my sister!" Pushing most of the lunches   
from the table, she leaned over toward the older girl, eyes unmoving   
from the other girl's face. "Would I cheat? No! Because I have been   
brought up in a family where that is wrong, and I know right from   
wrong..." She eyes began to well up with tears. "I know what my sister   
is, and YOU know what my sister is, and everyone..."  
"Lyra?" Landis reached out a hand toward the emotional 12th   
grader. "I don't believe the rumors, either, if it helps..."  
Wordlessly, the blonde girl tossed her head and started across the  
cafeteria.  
With a sigh, the auburn-haired girl took a sip of her miraculously  
un-spilled Coke. "Sometimes, I worry about her..."  
"You're not upset about what you just said?" questioned Landis in   
shock, staring at the relaxed girl. "You could have just ruined your   
friendship with her, forever!"  
Smiling knowingly, Alice shrugged. "We've been through a lot   
together," she told her companion languidly. "You can't even begin to   
understand it... But..."  
"But?" asked the other teen.  
"But," finished Alice, "Lyra will always come back. It's her   
finest point."  
************  
  
"Damn it!" She bent further over the dark blue orb, glaring   
daggers at it as she slowly moved her hands in a counter-clockwise   
direction on either side. "Why the Hell don't these things come with   
directions?" Sighing, she took the crystal ball in one hand and glared   
at it. "All the famous badguys had crystal balls! Like Queen Beryl...   
And the Wiseman..." She wrinkled her nose. "This is the LAST time I   
order anything from '1-800-baddies.'" Tossing the ball against the wall,  
she leaned back in her throne and yawned, stretching. "Well, if this   
isn't boring..."  
Suddenly, the door to the Throne Room burst open and Rob rushed   
in, cradling what appeared to be the dead corpse of his cat. Evil Queen   
Ginnie grimaced and glanced at the thick notepad labeled "To Do Before   
Taking Over the World" that sat on her armrest. Sure enough, there was   
"take down Dolly's dead body from the living room ceiling"... Number   
856...  
"Shoot... I've GOT to work on shortening this list," mumbled   
Ginnie, scratching her head. Then, putting an evil smile on her   
otherwise pale face, she glanced down at her minion. "May I help you,   
Rob?"  
Nodding quickly, the man sank to one knee, as was proper   
procedure, before holding the dead body of his cat up above his head.   
"Dolly's dead!" he cried, blue eyes welling with tears.   
With a sigh, Ginnie floated down from her throne and took a good   
look at the cat. Sure enough, she was dead... It appeared that her neck   
was broken, and there was a lovely mark around her neck from where the   
yawn had been. The Queen grimaced. "Uhh... It could have been old age?"  
"No!" protested the man, hugging the corpse of his pet to his   
chest. "She was hanging from the ceiling of the living room like a   
sacrifice to a God or something!"  
Shrugging, she began to float back up to her seat. "Hey, don't   
look at me!" she retorted casually. "That is NOT in the 'Big Book of   
Ginnie Worship.'" Then, waving a hand, she leaned back in her seat. "If   
you beat the Sailor Scouts, you can avenge your cat's death." As his   
face lit up, she grimaced. "AND NOT A MOMENT BEFORE!"  
But Rob had already run off, giggling like a giddy child.   
Ginnie sighed and pulled a tall glass of pink lemonade from null-  
space. "I've got to work on my delivery," she muttered.  
************  
  
With a yawn, Peter Chiba laid down on the couch, a slight smile   
crossing his face. "And it was so much fun!" he announced gaily, patting  
the little tan animal who was perched on the back of the couch. "The   
other kids were all very, very nice, and I met Celeste's little brother,  
Johnny, who's in my class!" He sighed and closed his red eyes. "Mother   
had always said that school was important, but we just never went. And   
now, here we are, in second grade!" His smile grew. "I don't think that   
anything could ruin this day!"  
"Brother!" called a voice from nearby, and he opened his tired   
eyes to see his sweet twin sister standing the doorway. Her hands were   
folded at her stomach, creasing the fabric in the blouse of her white   
uniform as she smiled almost victoriously at him. "I heard some   
interesting information at school today that just might be of importance  
to you."  
Sitting up on the couch, the little boy stretched out his limbs   
and glanced at her, raising an eyebrow. "You actually enjoyed yourself   
today?" he questioned, disbelieving.  
Still smiling, Aeris strode over and plopped down onto the couch   
next to her brother. "Our dear friend Celeste made it into junior high   
via the entrance exams," she informed him with a small yawn as she   
settled into the couch. "It seems as though, beyond making it into the   
junior high school, she also did something previously unrecorded--she   
answered every last question correct."  
Peter's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "She got every question   
right? But..." He furrowed his brow. "No one's ever done that, which   
means she must have cheated."  
"That is the popular consensus, it seems," nodded his sister,   
still smiling as she spoke. "My teacher was discussing it with your   
teacher over lunch break. I found it to be quite an...enlightening...  
conversation." She brushed a green-black hair from her multicolored   
eyes. "Such a kind and sweet leader the Chibi-Scouts have, eh?"  
He bit his lower lip and glared at her. "Celeste just wouldn't do   
that!" he protested loudly, anger in his voice. "She would never cheat   
on anything! Destined leaders and rulers like the Keeper of the Nebulae  
would never... Never ever..."  
"She cheated on the exam, believe it or not," retorted Aeris   
coolly, her smile still touching her lips, "and it is thought that she   
obtained the answers in advance. And that is odd, because no one knows   
how she could have accomplished that..." Then, in mock surprise, she   
pushed the palms of her hands against her cheeks and formed her mouth to  
a perfect 'o'. "But, wait, she is the omnipotent Keeper and a destined   
leader of the world! She can do ANYTHING!"  
"I didn't mean it like THAT!" shot her brother, wrinkling his nose  
in disgust. "You're twisting it around, and you know it!"  
Standing, she lowered her colorful eyes in his direction, and they  
faded to a horrible color of black. "In light of what your little   
girlfriend did, I'm challenging her rule as leader of the Chibi-Scouts,"  
growled Aeris in a low tone. "I do not believe that she, a cheater, has   
the right to rule. And I do not believe you have much of an ability to   
go against me in this, either."  
"But..." Gulping back the lump in his throat, Peter watched as his  
twin strode out of the room and slammed the door behind her. With a deep  
sigh, he leaned against the back of the couch. "How is it that my own   
sister could be so cold?" he queried aloud, pressing his lips together.   
The cat on the back of the couch leapt onto the boy's lap and   
smiled slightly. "I think that this goes deeper than just being about   
cheating," sighed Galileo, glancing at his charge with concern. "I'm   
starting to wonder if she has any logic at all, given the   
circumstances..."  
"What circumstances?" asked Peter, staring down at the little ball  
of tan fur. "She's just acting like a spoiled jerk, that's all!" He   
clenched his hands into fists and glared up at the ceiling angrily. "She  
doesn't care about my feelings, this time, or Celeste's! She just wants   
to be in charge!"  
Sighing, Galileo hopped down off the child's lap and turned away   
from him, starting for the door. "Either that," he responded softly, "or  
she's lonely."  
************  
  
"You guys, play like you want to win!" screamed the young soccer   
coach, tossing down her clipboard as she jogged along the sidelines of   
the long field, tennis shoes thumping on the cool green grass. "Get the   
ball!" She watched as her oldest player, in a certain odd half-  
heartedness, tried to steal the ball away from a member of the opposite   
team. "Celeste, you're slacking!" she yelled once again, brushing a   
strand of brown hair from her eyes. "Not a trait I like in you!" The   
blonde girl just stared at the ground. "Ambriel, do it!"  
The other female defensive player glanced at the coach, nodding   
slightly as she ran for the ball. Her foot went toward the white-and-  
black object, but she only managed to entangle her legs with the other   
child's and tumble onto the ground.  
A whistle blew and Haley clenched her fists in frustration. "TIME   
OUT!" she hollered, picking up her clipboard from the ground and wiping   
away a bead of sweat with the back of her hand. "Chiba and Mokoti, get   
your butts over here!"  
As all the other players giggled amongst themselves, the two who   
had been singled out trudged over to their furious coach, heads bowed.   
The redhead was even limping a bit.  
"What are you two doing out there?" spat the adult, glaring at the  
children. "I know that you can handle things far greater than a soccer   
game, so what gives?" Neither glanced up, and she pressed further.   
"Celeste, you hardly made an attempt, and Ambriel, that fall was   
pathetic! If you have been focusing..."  
"It's SOCCER, Haley!" shot the blonde girl, her fists clenched at   
her sides as she glared up at the adult. "You're pretending like the   
fate of the world is at stake! It's not!"   
The young woman raised a hand into the air, ready to strike the   
child, and then froze. The green eyes that were on her face didn't   
blink, and the girl did not flinch. She just stared upward, accepting of  
her fate.  
Shivers running down her spine, Haley lowered her hand and sighed.  
"Martin and Trudy, you're in for these two!" she called to a boy and   
girl who were sitting on the sidelines. "Defensive positions."  
The duo nodded and ran out onto the field. The game resumed.  
Sinking to the ground, both girls sighed and glanced at their   
coach, who was once again completely preoccupied with the goings-on in   
the game.   
Ambriel turned to her friend. "Is something wrong?" she asked   
softly, resting her chin in her hands.   
"Nothing you could fix," responded Celeste coolly, staring off   
into space. "I've just got a lot to deal with right now."  
The redhead huffed and tossed her messy braid behind her back.   
"You make it sound like I'm completely helpless, you know."  
"Maybe you are." The blonde sighed again and closed her eyes,   
falling onto her back in the cool grass. "After all, you live locked up   
in that great Palace all the time, served whatever you please."  
"And you think that it's all fun and games, don't you?" retorted   
the younger of the two, gray eyes narrowing. "You have no idea what I go  
through every day, do you?"  
Celeste snorted. "What? Do you sometimes have to dress yourself or  
something horrific like that?" She sat up and glared at the girl. "All   
you are, Ambriel, is spoiled. You wouldn't know true unhappiness and   
despair if it bit you in the butt."  
And, with that, she picked up her gym bag and began to walk away,   
with a pair of sad gray eyes staring after her.  
************  
  
Grimacing, she leaned against the countertop, slowly straightening  
her leg. Every movement, even the slightest of them all, caused her   
great distress in the humid weather they were having. With a grunt of   
effort, she took a step forward, toward the stairs. Her leg felt like it  
was burning from the inside out.  
"You look like you're in a lot of pain," came a bland statement   
from behind her. Gently opening her gray-green eyes, Alexandra saw an   
icepack dangling in front of her face and smiled slightly. "You know   
that the doctor told you to keep it iced when it aches, but you're   
trying to walk on it."  
Seizing the pack, she hobbled over to a chair, putting minimal   
pressure on the sore leg. "You're not my mother," she retorted, pressing  
the pack against her knee. Her eyes glanced up and at the savior, who   
was leaning against the counter with her beautiful wavy tresses falling   
over her shoulders. She smiled. "But thank you, anyway."  
Face showing no humor, Michelle sat down in the chair beside her   
wife and stared at her. "You've been acting odder than normal," she   
stated with a slight raise of an eyebrow, "and it seems to me that your   
comment about the children today was more out of line than normal." She   
took the other woman's hand and squeezed it tightly between her own   
hands. "Must I remind you that there are NO secrets between Neptune and   
Uranus?"  
"Maybe there are?" questioned Alex, smiling hopefully. The   
expression opposite hers, however, did not change. She gulped. Sighing,   
she closed her eyes and leaned back against the chair, shaking her head.  
"It's not really the kids, Michi. It's me."  
"You?" asked the musician, cocking her head to the side. Then, she  
smiled gently. "If you're worried because you're getting older, let me   
ASSURE you that you're just as good as--"  
Blushing slightly, the taller woman coughed into her hand and   
smiled knowingly at her wife. "Not that..." she sighed, almost laughing.  
"I KNOW that, however..." Her smile faded into a frown. "Doesn't it   
stink that there is nothing on this planet that is biologically ours?"  
"Hmmm?"  
"Well..." She shrugged and glanced up at the ceiling. "Peter asked  
me about destined couples, and I got to thinking how unfair it is that   
we can't have our own children. After all, we're just as good as   
Endymion and Serenity, right?" She shook her head slightly and wiped a   
tear from her eyes. "And yet, we're incapable of having our own   
children. I don't find it fair. It's not fair!" she yelped, as though   
she was in pain. Sitting straight up, she leaned forward and brought her  
lips to Michelle's for a long moment, kissing her passionately before   
pulling away. Once she did so, she stared at her own hands, almost   
ashamed. "If someone can honestly tell me that all this love isn't   
worthy enough for it's own fruit, I will never again think of   
children..." She buried her head in her hands, near tears as her breath   
came in ragged gasps.  
Touching her lips to her wife's hand, the shorter of the two women  
just sighed. "You mean that, all this time, you were so against children  
because, in the end, we can't have our own?" Upon receiving a nod in   
response, Michelle tangled her fingers in the sandy hair and touched   
their cheeks together. "I don't care about that..." she whispered   
gently, nearly crying. "I don't care about babies or biological remains   
upon this Earth... All I care about is you." She smiled and stood up,   
walking over and sitting down in the lap of the woman she loved. "You."  
Alex smiled slightly and then grimaced uncomfortably. "That's   
great, dear," she responded, wiping the tears from her eyes. "But you're  
really hurting my leg..."  
************  
  
"How to bet the Sailor Scouts..." Rob wrinkled his nose as he sat   
down on the park bench, stretching out his long legs as he glanced up at  
the extremely cloudy sky. It looked like it was going to rain any   
minute. With a shiver, he yawned and folded his hands over his stomach.   
"And I have the strangest feeling that, if I fail, Tina's going to have   
some fun teasing me about it..."  
Sighing once again, he stood and glanced slowly around the area.   
It was a big athletic park, and nothing much was going on, barring a   
peewee soccer game. He smiled a little at the prospect of interrupting   
the little kids' game. Would that catch the attention of those pesky   
Sailor-fuku-wearing teenagers?  
He thought so.   
"Dark circle!" he screamed, picking his slow stride up to a run as  
he waved one hand in the air. Slowly, a ring of bright red, cracking   
energy appeared in the very center of the soccer field before him. All   
the children shrieked and scattered, but it was too late. The ring sent   
out small, arm-like beams of energy and attacked anyone with ten or   
twelve feet of it. Stopping in his run, Rob beamed, quite proud of   
himself.  
And then, to his horror, a young woman stood up despite the   
obvious danger and pain that she was facing, and raised something small,  
round, and shiny into the air. He gasped and stared at her, amazed.   
Long brown hair fell in her face, but she was, no doubt, one of those   
pretty Sailor Soldiers. He'd watched them fight before...   
Orange and silver ribbons of light erupted from the little round   
thing. Slowly and rather majestically, they encircled her, slowly   
pulling tight and forming into a Sailor fuku. With a wicked grin, the   
young man remembered Ginnie's words.  
'If you beat the Sailor Scouts, you can avenge your cat's death.'  
He was going to enjoy this.  
************  
  
"No more fighting!" commanded Celeste sternly as she sat at the   
bus stop, staring down at her little yellow-and-purple transformation   
pen. "I don't want to have to FIGHT, damn it! I'm nine, and I want to   
ACT my age!"  
But, despite all her hollering, the stick was still a warmth that   
was nearly uncomfortable. She wrinkled her nose and rested her head in   
her free hand.  
There was a long moment of silence as she sat, near tears, alone   
in the bus stop. Nothing really moved or occurred. Above her, in the   
sky, thunder crackled, heralding the coming storm. She sighed and opened  
her eyes, the tears in them stinging as she glanced down at the stick.   
At her destiny.  
"It's really not fair, you know," she commented to it with a shake  
of her head. "I would just like to fit in. Be normal. But I can't...   
Can I?"  
Standing, she fled the bus stop and began to look for a dark   
alley.  
************  
  
"I hate this part!" whined Sailor Moon, dodging a large bolt of   
red energy as it flew toward her. "All the running and avoiding and   
parrying and..."  
Throwing an attack at the ring of red and watching it sizzle out   
into nothingness, Sailor Comet wrinkled her nose and glared at the   
leader. "This is no time for games, Moon!" she spat, rolling away from a  
counter-attack that stemmed from the ring. "Somebody's got to do   
SOMETHING!"  
Diving onto her stomach and pulling Comet with her, Sailor Polaris  
glared at the ring of red energy and made a face. "I'm sure that Aeris   
or Peter could take this thing out!" she called to the present Scouts.  
"Not in my ear..." groaned the brunette teen, rolling away from   
her loud friend. "I don't need to go deaf..."  
"Then where the HELL are the Chibi-Scouts?" questioned Aurora   
Borealis, wiping sweat from her brow as she threw an attack at the ring   
and watched it fizzle out. "If a 'Dead Scream would take care of it,   
then... EEEK!" Just as a bolt came flying toward her, Sailor Phoenix   
grabbed her around the stomach and pulled her to the ground, leaving the  
energy to soar above and past them.  
With a slight cough, the blue-haired Scout let go of her friend   
and shook her head. "You ARE an idiot, Aurora B.," she scolded with a   
slight smile. "We're talking a BRAZEN idiot..."  
Just then, the ring of energy disappeared, leaving no proof of its  
existence.  
Sailor Moon stood slowly and glanced around the area, looking for   
the ring of red or, at least, for its owner. "That is SO odd," she   
stated, bewildered. "It just disappeared..."  
"And where the HELL are Ambriel and Celeste?" asked Comet,   
brushing the hair from her eyes and stepping nearer to the rest of the   
Sailor Scouts. "They were here at the game, I SWEAR it, and then--"  
There was a loud crackling sound that cut her off, and suddenly   
another ring of red appeared. This one, unlike the previous, was about   
the thickness and consistency of a rope, and took no time in capturing   
all five of the Scouts in its circle and pulling them tightly together.   
They fought with it, attempting to kick and squirm their ways out, but   
it was not use. They were trapped.  
Chuckling, a young man stepped out of thin air and stood right   
before Sailor Moon, smiling wickedly. "Good afternoon, Sailor Ladies,"   
he greeted, with a slight bow. "My name is Rob, and I am quite glad to   
make your acquaintance."   
Red eyes lowering into a dangerous glare, the leader of the Sailor  
Scouts wrinkled her nose in the direction of the stranger. "What the   
Hell do you want?" she spat.  
He smiled, reaching forward and caressing her cheek lightly with   
his hand. "Feisty Miss Moon," he cooed, hand trailing down her cheek and  
neck toward her locket. "I wonder what you're like under that pretty   
Sailor fuku..."  
In one swift movement, she brought her boot-covered foot up to   
connect with his groin. Rob yelped out in pain and doubled over,   
clutching himself. Sailor Moon, on the other hand, tossed her head of   
pink hair proudly. "Pervert."  
Glowering at her, the young man stood, still a bit dazed from his   
injury. "You little slut!" he hollered, grabbing her by the collar of   
her fuku and pulling her body against the rope of energy. She screamed   
in pain, for the energy was suddenly very, very warm and the thin fabric  
of her fuku did little to protect her body against it. Smiling evilly,   
he drew her nose to touch his and patted the top of her head. "Are you   
going to behave, Miss Moon?" he asked sweetly.  
She spat in his face and pulled herself from his grasp, tossing   
her head once again. "Go to Hell," she shot angrily, tone low and   
unforgiving. "Don't think that you're going to win, bastard."  
He slapped the young woman across the face, but she didn't so much  
as flinch. Her red eyes remained lowered, angry but tearless, and he f  
urrowed his brow at her. "Doesn't that hurt?"   
"Never..."  
"STOP!" commanded a chorus of young voices from behind Rob. He   
whirled around and raised an eyebrow. There, standing in a short line,   
were four children. Two wore Sailor fukus, with a girl in white skirts   
and a boy in a tuxedo standing between them. He froze in place.  
"And you are?"  
"Pretty Sailor suited Sailor Scout, Sailor Chibi-Star!" shot the   
tallest of the foursome, flipping her pigtails behind her shoulders.   
"The leader of the Chibi-Scouts..."  
The other girl in the Sailor fuku laughed rather cockily. "You are  
no longer the leader!" she spat at the older girl, colorful eyes lowered  
into a glare. "No good-for-nothing cheater should rule the Chibi-Scouts   
with her iron fist!"  
Chibi-Star did a double take. "What the Hell are you talking   
about? I did NOT cheat on that test!"  
Snickering, the one in all white pointed a finger at the single   
boy. "So your girlfriend cheats at tests? If THAT'S not the stupidest   
thing I've heard in a million years..."  
"Bite me, you spoiled brat!" shot Chibi-Star, glaring at the   
redheaded girl. "You're not really an angel, anyway! You're a bastard   
child!"  
The boy gulped and glanced at the oldest. "Now, Celeste..."  
"And you shut up, too!"  
As the bickering between all the younger Scouts continued, the   
Galactic Sailors all stared at them. "Their maturity is astounding,"   
sighed Phoenix with a shake of her braids. Then, she put a hand on the   
rope and closed her eyes. "Phoenix..."  
"Hell no!" yelped Aurora Borealis, squirming and attempting to get  
away from the rope as her friend touched it. "We ALL remember what   
happened last time you tried something like that..."  
"Heat..."  
Comet tried to back away from the blue-haired Scout and tripped   
over Polaris' foot. She, in turn, got the edge of her skirt wrapped   
around the hilt of Moon's sword. And, in one swift movement, the   
standing Scouts all fell into one giant, tied-together heap of Sailor   
Scouts.  
"Get off of me!"  
"Only when Phoenix moves her hand!"  
"That's not MY hand... But Moon's sword is definitely a little two  
close for comfort!"  
"You perv!"  
"Well, I mean it! Get it away!"  
"That's not the sword... I think that's Aurora's hand..."  
"Is NOT! Go to Hell, Comet!"  
"Sorry, but I think that IS her hand!"  
"Eeek!"  
"And the other one's no better..."  
"Listen, you sicko, it's not MY fault! I have nowhere to put them,  
anyway!"  
"And my parents always said that I'D be the lesbian when I grow   
up..."  
"COMET! SHUT UP!"  
"Could someone get their boot out of my butt?"  
"Sorry..."  
Rob, who was watching both the fight between the Chibi-Scouts and   
the awful pile of older Scouts as they tried to situate themselves,   
sighed miserably and shook his head. "GREAT," he commented to himself,   
eyes half-closed in blatant amazement at the stupidity of his   
adversaries. "They're ALL children..."  
And then, suddenly, something purple cut through the air, slicing   
through the red rope-like substance that held the Scouts together.   
Sailor Moon, who happened to be on the top of the pile, fell off and   
onto the ground rather hard, cursing loudly. Everyone else jumped up and  
scattered, because no one wanted to know whose hand was where (and the   
like).  
With a sigh, the Starlit Prince hopped down from the tree branch   
he was perched upon and raised an eyebrow in the direction of the   
strange young man, his cape swirling dramatically behind him. "You   
threaten the future of good in this universe, and I will not stand for   
it," he stated, glaring at the man. "I am the Starlit Prince..."  
"WATCH OUT!" commanded Polaris quickly, scrambling to her feet   
from where she was still laying, dazed. "He's a tricky bastard!"  
Rob raised a hand and pointed it straight at the other young man's  
chest, whispering an odd word in some unknown language. Suddenly, a bolt  
of red energy poured from the palm of his hand and shot at the Starlight  
Prince. Top hat flying off, the Prince sunk to his knees, howling in   
agony. And the red continued.  
"Phoenix Heat Flashing!"  
"Starlit Streak!"  
"Rainbow Wave!"  
"Comet Crater Close!"  
The sky lit up with the four attacks, and Rob turned his head   
slowly to see them coming straight at him. With a string of swears, he   
blinked out of existence in a puff of red smoke, and the attacks flew   
past their mark and dissolved in midair.  
"Richard!" screamed Polaris, dashing to where her Prince had   
fallen onto his chest, gasping for breath. "Richard! Say something!"  
Coughing a bit, the young man sat up, smiling weakly as he reached  
out to touch her curly hair. "I think...I need...a nap..."  
With a sad smile, eyes full of joyful tears, she lunged forward   
and hugged him around the neck. "Thank GOD you're alright..."  
Rolling her red eyes, Sailor Moon glanced around the area with   
obvious disdain. "Well, he got away..."  
And then, her eyes were drawn to another odd sight...  
Sailor Chibi-Star and Angel Moon were standing about two feet away  
from one another, just screaming their lungs out. Not too far away were   
the Pluto twins and, low-and-behold, they were participating in the same  
sort of activity.   
"You're a spoiled little Princess!"  
"Get off it! She's NOT my girlfriend!"  
"Lair!"  
"You cheated! How come you're still the leader?"  
"The point here is that I should rule the Chibi-Scouts!"  
"Bite me! You're not deserving!"  
"I DID NOT! Everyone THINKS I did!"  
"An one-hundred percent is just a TAD odd, then, Chibi-Cheater!"  
"You little ass! Come here so I can beat the stuffing out of you!"  
"I am TOO deserving!"  
"Oh yeah?"  
"You come HERE!"  
"YEAH!"  
"NO WAY! Get off your rotten duff!"  
Sighing, the Sailor Scouts all glanced at one another in a mix of   
annoyance and disbelief. "I think," commented Phoenix dryly, "we need a   
Scout Meeting."  
The others quickly agreed.  
************  
  
"How come I'm not a Sailor Scout?"  
Green eyes glancing up from her textbook, Tara Yuuichirou glanced   
at the little boy before her. His hair, shaggy and unkempt, fell into   
his bright purple eyes, but he paid no regard to it. Just as she did, he  
knelt before the little table, only he was staring straight at her   
instead of studying, as she was. She raised a slender black eyebrow and   
turned back to her studies. "I'm sorry, Josh," she responded, "but I   
haven't he foggiest what you're talking about."  
He didn't move from his spot, and the eyes upon her did not blink.  
"Yes, Sissy, you do."  
Closing the text slowly, she folded her hands on the tabletop and   
smiled sweetly at him, determined to appease him. "What is it that you   
want to know, exactly?" she questioned in a tone that clearing stated "I  
am just humoring the boy."  
Joshua shrugged and cocked his head to one side. "Well, I've known  
for a LONG time that you're a Sailor Scout, Sissy--"  
She suddenly began to choke on her own salvia, completely   
astounded.  
"--and I'm curious to why I'M not one..." He pouted slightly,   
little shoulders drooping notably. "I mean, there's all those girls and   
then there's Tuxedo Mask and the Starlit Prince... So why isn't there a   
Tuxedo ME?"  
Sighing, she leaned back on her elbows and shook her head   
slightly. "Josh," she replied in a cool, calm tone, "I'm not a Sailor   
Scout anymore. I quit." She let out another long sigh and closed her   
large green eyes. "I suppose that I even became a Scout because Mother   
said, but I know now that I don't WANT to be one." She smiled and opened  
her eyes, staring across the table at the confused little boy. "In order  
to be a Sailor Scout," she told him, "you have to give up a normal life.  
You can't play with friends after school, or go shopping, or even crack   
a textbook without wondering when the next time it is that you'll have   
to risk your life." Shrugging, Tara sat back up and re-opened her book.   
"And that's not something that anyone should be forced to do."  
He furrowed his brow, still staring at her. "Okay, Sissy," he   
returned softly, lips pressed together, "if you say so..."  
************  
  
"Reeny, please tell Celeste that she's a cheater and that I cannot  
ever face her again."  
"Celeste, Ambry feels that you are a cheater and that she will   
never again face you."  
"Well then, Reeny, please tell Ambriel that if she'd pull her head  
out of Serenity's BUTT long enough to glance at the truth, then at least  
she'd be able to not face the REAL me."  
Kicking at the carpeting, the Princess of the Earth glared at the   
two girls, who were sitting back-to-back on the floor, both glaring at   
nothing in particular. "This is SO stupid!" yelled she, tossing her pink  
pigtails behind her shoulders. "I am WAY too old to play this game!"  
Ambriel held her head high, still refusing to glance at the girl   
who had once been a close friend. "Well, if Celeste would just   
apologize, then you'd not have to 'play this game,' Mama," she responded  
coolly.  
"And if that little whore of a five-year-old would take the time   
to address the truth," shot the blonde child with anger in her voice,   
"then all of us would be getting along just fine..."  
Reeny sighed and rolled her eyes. "Any luck over there?" she   
called to the two older Scouts who sat with the Pluto twins.  
"None!" pouted Phoebe warily, crossing her arms over her bright   
yellow T-shirt as she spoke. "It's like Aeris has gone catatonic, and   
Peter's all upset for no good reason..."  
Staring straight into space, unmoving, the green-haired girl   
cleared her throat and lowered her colorful eyes. They immediately   
turned black in color. "I will not move from this spot," she said in a   
calm, demure tone, "until I am recognized as the leader of the Chibi-  
Scouts over that cheater."  
Suddenly springing into action, the blonde girl stood and stomped   
across the Urawa living room. Without hesitation, she slapped the   
younger girl across the face. Aeris still did not move. "Forget you!"   
screamed Celeste loudly, hands clenched into fists. "You don't know   
anything, you little actor!"  
"Don't you talk to my sister that way!" hollered the brunette boy   
suddenly, pulling his head from his hands to glower at his destined.   
"You ARE just as they say you are, Celeste!"  
"You shut up, Peter! You have NOTHING to do with this!"  
In the same manner as her blonde friend had, Ambriel rushed to her  
feet and stood opposite the oldest girl. "You leave him alone!" she   
commanded sternly. "He was just protecting his sister!"  
Immediately, a ruckus broke out between the four children, with   
Peter, Ambriel, and Celeste all screaming and Aeris still sitting   
completely motionless.   
Sighing, Alice buried her head in her hands. Once the battle had   
ended, the Galactic Sailor Scouts had managed to pull the four Chibi-  
Scouts apart and force them to come to a little Scout Meeting. That   
meeting, of course, had been designed only to attempt to keep their   
fighting to a minimum, and--in theory--to solve the problems at hand.   
However unfortunate it was, though, Lyra had insisted on taking Richard   
home for some rest, and Haley felt she had an instant obligation to   
check on the people who could have been hurt in the battle. This left   
three Galactic Sailors versus four angry Chibi-Scouts in a battle of   
wits.  
But, noted the auburn-haired teen as she stared at the warring   
children, the Galactic Sailors really weren't doing any good. They had   
tried to mediate the situation, but none of the children felt like   
talking it out. Arguing, however, was quite a strong point.  
"Galileo's the cutest!"  
"That fat little ball of fur and lard? What about my Carina?"  
"Carina? PUH-LEASE! Cassiopeia is the most beautiful kitten, with   
her fur of molten silver and eyes of the forest..."  
"Ooh! A poet AND a cheater!"  
"I will not budge from this spot until..."  
"Shut up, you little braid-headed priestess! At least I HAVE   
parents!"  
"Don't you talk to her like that!"  
"I desire to lead the Chibi-Scouts in true fashion..."  
"Why not?"  
"Because I said so!"  
"Well, shove--"  
"SHUT THE HELL UP!" seethed the pink-haired woman suddenly,   
springing to her feet and glaring down at the three loud children. They   
all froze, Celeste with one of her hands pulling at Peter's short hair   
and the other holding Ambriel by the collar of her soccer shirt. Even   
Aeris, who really hadn't been doing much in the first place, stopped   
talking and glanced up at the Princess of the Earth, in awe.  
There was a long moment of silence. Nothing moved. The tension in   
the air was nearly tangible.  
Then, in a manner that was almost too calm, Reeny walked up to   
Celeste and gently removed her hand from Peter's head. She also freed   
her "daughter" of the steal grip that held her neck. There was another   
moment of silence as she smoothed her school uniform, and then she shook  
her head slowly.  
"Go home."  
"Huh?" questioned the blue-haired teenager, blinking at her leader  
as she spoke. "What do you mean 'go home?' You've got to slap them   
around or SOMETHING..."  
Alice hit Phoebe upside the head with a nearby throw pillow.  
Still eerily calm, Reeny folded her hands and smiled gently. "I   
want you all to go home," she stated, "and I want you to think. I want   
you to think about the fate of the Chibi-Scouts, and what you're doing   
to the fate of the WORLD." She picked up her schoolbag off an armchair   
and shrugged. "Later."  
And, with that, she opened the living room door and strode out,   
slipping on her shoes and leaving the house, still completely calm.  
"She's finally lost it..." murmured the girl with the throw   
pillow. "Took her nineteen years, but she FINALLY lost it..." Then,   
seeing that the children were still present, she dropped the pillow and   
snapped into action. "Get going! Get out! GET!"  
The kids, all terrified of Alice, jetted out of the house without   
another word on the subject.  
Still rubbing the spot on her head where she'd been beamed, Phoebe  
stared up at her friend. "I've NEVER seen this side of you," she gaped,   
amazed. "You're so very bossy and domineering..."  
The auburn-haired one blushed guiltily and focused on the floor.  
And then, Phoebe grinned, giving her companion a wink and a   
"thumbs up." "I like it!"  
************  
  
"Damn it!" he swore, kicking the wall of the corridor as he stood   
alone in it, sweat dotting his brow. "I don't believe I lost to those   
little toddlers!"  
There was a light flash of blue, and another person appeared. Her   
hair, which usually fell freely into her eyes, was pulled back into a   
ponytail and she wore a frilly yet black apron over her already raven-  
colored uniform.  
And her expression was grim. "I'm sorry, Rob," she stated in a   
truly apologetic voice, "but I'm trying to bake in the kitchen, and all   
your yelling and cursing might cause my cake to fall."  
He furrowed his brow. "What the Hell do you know?" he hissed,   
angry but still not daring to raise his voice and let the cake fall.   
"You're not worth a thing, after all! You're not even fighting for   
Ginnie's cause!"  
Tina wrinkled her nose and stared at the young man. "That may be   
true in a sort of symbolic sense," she retorted, slowly untying the knot  
in the front of her apron. "For, though I may not be doing much in the   
name of Ginnie, I CAN fight."  
"Oh really, girly-girl?" snorted Rob haughtily, unzipping the   
jacket of his uniform to reveal nothing more than a small, sleeveless   
undershirt. "I so much as DARE you to bring it on!"  
She too drew off her jacket, only she wore a normal T-shirt   
beneath, which was colored the same unfriendly ebony as the rest of her   
garb. "You DO realize that I'm trained in several martial arts, right?"   
she questioned rhetorically, tucking the few loose strands of hair into   
her ponytail. "I could snap your neck with my eyes closed."  
Without warning, her words brought a jarring image to his mind. He  
could suddenly see his cat, her neck broken, hanging from the ceiling of  
their living room. Clenching his eyes shut, he grimaced and tightened   
his fists.  
And then, it all made sense.  
'I could snap your neck..."  
"YOU KILLED HER!" roared the man suddenly, all the rage that he   
had hidden away for the time after he defeated the Sailor Scouts   
bubbling to the surface as he said those three words. "You killed Dolly,  
you heartless bitch!"  
Bowing rather haughtily, the young woman smiled a sweet smile at   
the man. "But of course," she retorted coolly. "How else was I to rise   
to the ranks above you if that little tattle-tale was in my way?"  
"You're already above me, and you were above them all!" he   
countered, pulse already quickening from his rage. "You had no reason!"  
She shrugged. "Reason to you is different than what is reason to   
me," came her short reply. "Now, are we to fight? I'm loosing patience,   
to be honest."  
He tossed his head. "I will avenge her, Tina."  
"Over my dead body, perhaps."  
And, with that, a battle began.  
************  
  
"It's getting late," yawned the young woman, glancing at her watch  
and then at the short girl who was standing at the door rather   
sheepishly. "You should be at home, in bed. Ma's probably ripping her   
hair out over you."  
With a shake of her head, the girl strode into the small   
apartment, kicking off her shoes and replacing them with a pair of small  
purple slippers. "She knows where I am," she replied briefly, walking   
through the little entryway and over to the couch, where she sat down.   
"But I need to talk to someone about my entrance exams, so it might as   
well be you."  
Lyra raised a blonde eyebrow and trudged over to where her sister   
sat, staring at her in brazen doubt. "Is that to say that you   
actually...cheated?" she managed, voice catching in her throat.   
"No, I didn't..." Celeste began and then, glancing up at her   
sister, she stopped. With a gulp, she closed her green eyes and buried   
her head in her hands. "Or I did! I don't know WHAT went on when I took   
that test, Lyra! I don't know!"  
She sat down beside the younger girl and wrapped an arm around   
her. "If you did cheat, 'Leste," she cautiously assured her sister,   
"then I will see to it that your hearing is fair and..."  
"That's just it!" roared she, springing from her seat and crossing  
to the single window in the room, unable to bring herself to glance at   
the older girl. "I sat down to take the test, 'cause Ma said it was good  
for me, and the answers started pouring into my brain. One after   
another, like raindrops in a storm!" She brought her fist down onto the   
sill, breath coming in ragged gasps. "It was the Keeper, not me! SHE did  
all this!" The girl began to shake, tears rolling down her face as she   
stared out at the newly set sun. "And I can't control it... I just   
can't..."  
Shoulders falling slightly, the curly-haired teen sighed and   
stared at her hands. "So this is what the whole fight with the other   
Chibi-Scouts is about?" she asked softly, chewing on her lower lip.   
"This is all about the cheating?"  
Nodding, she turned to look at her sister, tears still trailing   
down her cheeks. "I hate the way I feel," she stated rather bluntly,   
pressing her lips together. "I hate knowing that they've lost all faith   
in me..." She sunk to her knees in the plush carpeting and once again   
buried her head in her hands. "But the Goddamn Keeper doesn't listen to   
me! She doesn't come when I call, or react when I need her to, and now   
she cheats for me!" She tore her face from her hands and stared up at   
her sister. "I WANT TO BE A NORMAL GIRL! I WANT TO BE NORMAL!"  
Without words, Lyra crossed the room and walked over to the young   
child, drawing the back of her hand across her face without an inch of   
hesitation. "None of us can be normal," she stated without anger in her   
soprano lilt. "We have a destiny, and we're stuck with it, so get over   
it!" She placed her hands on her hips and glared down at the girl. "I'm   
sorry that you can't control the Keeper," she continued, tone actually   
softening slightly. "And I know that this life means a lot to you. But I  
can't do anything about it, and neither can you."  
"I want to go to elementary school," sighed Celeste, rubbing the   
large red mark on her cheek but not looking up at her sister. "I want to  
control my powers. I want to salvage my friendships. I want to know how   
I feel about Peter."  
With a slight smile, her elder sister sunk to her knees in the   
carpeting and brushed some of the thick blonde hair from the child's   
eyes. "You'd be amazed at what you can do when you focus," she assured   
the girl, leaning forward and kissing the top of her head. "I know   
that--if you think about it--you can find a way out of your mess."  
"Really?"  
Lyra nodded, and her smile grew. "And I'm sorry I slapped you,"   
she apologized, noticing the bright mark on the child's cheek for the   
first time. "I didn't know I hit you THAT hard."  
Giggling a bit, Celeste wiped the remaining tears from her eyes.   
"This time," she responded, "I think I deserved it."  
************  
  
With a long, miserable sigh, the little girl drew her legs to her   
chest and stared out the window at the back yard. It was dark out, and   
it was raining, the tiny droplets from the sky falling one after another  
into the grass. Her colorful eyes, which had remained their hateful   
black for most of the day, ached. She'd held back so many tears. She'd   
been upset--upset that Celeste, for whom she held an infinite amount of   
trust, had cheated, and upset that the others didn't see any worth in   
changing leaders. They were all at one another's throats, an unusual   
circumstance indeed... And even her own brother found it necessary to   
join the pointless bickering. And even SHE, the most adult and calm of   
the four Chibi-Scouts, had stooped to the low of attacking him and the   
others. Sighing, Aeris wiped a tear from her cheek, staring down at the   
little damp spot on her finger. How had this one, brave tear escaped the  
dams that she'd set up? She blinked back more tears and stared out at   
the falling rain.  
"Do they not understand?" she questioned in a weak, shaking voice,  
talking to no one. "No, they COULD not. When one really considers it,   
they have others who they can rely on. And lean on." With another sad   
sigh, she leaned her head against the cool glass windowpane and allowed   
the tears to stream down her pale cheeks. "And, when I really consider   
it, I have absolutely NO one." She bit her lower lip, hard, and the   
taste of blood flooded her mouth. "Now..." she stammered, the words   
catching in the back of her throat. "Now I understand how Mother must   
have felt..."  
A warm hand was suddenly on her shoulder, and she opened her   
aching eyes only to stare up at a short, smiling blonde man. He held out  
a rather large box of tissues. "You alright?" he asked softly, sitting   
down on the small window seat beside the girl. "Because it seems to me   
that you're not."  
"I'm fine, Mister Hartford," she lied quickly, studying the floor   
so he would not see her tears. "I was just thinking..."  
"Thinking, Aeris," he retorted, still smiling sweetly at her,   
"usually does not involve so many tears." Brushing a strand of green-  
black hair from her face, he once again pushed the tissues closer to   
her. "And my name is Brian."  
She glanced up and wiped her nose with one of her tiny fists,   
staring at the man in complete shock. "Mister Brian... I don't know how   
to thank you..."  
He shook his head quickly and, pulling a tissue from the box and   
pressing it into the palm of one of her hands, let the smile fade from   
his pleasant face. "You need to act like a normal little girl," he   
stated in a sober manner. "You have been given a gift that your mother   
and my wife both did not receive. You can life just like every other   
child your age, warrior or not." Smiling again, he watched her blow her   
nose with a hint of amusement in his expression. "Never lose that   
special power in your heart that I know you have, kiddo."  
A grin dawned on her face and she pressed her lips together.   
"Thank you, Mister Brian," she said with a slight bow of her head. "I   
think I now know why Miss Hannah likes you so much."  
He rolled his eyes and stood, leaving the cardboard box where it   
sat. "All this 'Miss' and 'Mister' stuff is really annoying," he   
responded, starting out of the little den with a shake of his head. "The  
name is Brian. And she's Hannah."  
"Alright then...Brian." She smiled up at him, genuine adoration in  
her tone.   
As he reached the door, he stopped and turned around, one hand   
still resting on the doorframe as his copper eyes gazed at the child   
through his glasses. "And one last thing, Aeris," he stated, voice   
somber. "I honestly hope that you NEVER know the true loneliness that   
your mother must have felt."  
Her smile faded as she nodded slightly. "I hope so, too," she   
responded coolly, glancing back out the window. "I really do."  
Opening the door, he winked at her. "Now that," he returned as he   
strode into the next room, "is that Pluto fighting spirit I like so   
much."  
************  
  
"Can I ask you a question, Lisa?"  
The young blonde woman wiped the sweat from her brow with the edge  
of her apron and glanced down at a small redheaded girl who wore nothing  
more than a white nightgown and a pair of pink slippers. She frowned.   
"Ambriel," she sighed, looking down at her flour-covered hands and at   
the bowls of bread dough that covered the countertops, "the cook's sick   
and, therefore, I'm baking tomorrow's bread. Could you ask me next   
week?"  
She pouted and crossed her arms. "But I want to know NOW!" she   
protested rather loudly, clambering up atop the single wooden stool   
that was in the middle of the kitchen. "It's important... It's about   
the Chibi-Scouts, and..."  
Punching down a large lump of dough, she rolled her eyes at the   
child and began to knead the bread. "You have until the timer rings,"   
she responded rather coolly.  
Gray eyes glanced up at the timer on the stove. Three minutes.  
"Where do I come from?" she questioned.  
Lisa snickered and shook her head of blonde hair. "I am not going   
to be the one to explain the birds and the bees to you, young lady," she  
stated with amusement.  
Ambriel wrinkled her nose. "Not THAT, either," she retorted. "Who   
are my parents? You MUST know something, since Mama wouldn't tell me..."  
She glanced at the child in doubt, a slight smile kissing her   
lips. So she'd already tried Reeny for the information? Well then...   
"Your mother was the High Priestess of the Silver Moon," she told the   
girl, still kneading the dough. "She'd been an angel, but she'd fallen   
in love with a human and ended up being banished from Heaven." She   
sighed wistfully and cleaned her hands of flour. "It's a sad story,   
really..."  
"She was an angel?" asked the child in doubt, staring. "But why   
the heck am I here now? The Silver Moon..."  
"Existed a few thousand years ago, I know," admitted the single   
adult with a shrug. "I really can't pretend to know how exactly you got   
here... Must have been reborn or something..." A timer rang, and she   
smirked. "Time's up, kiddo."  
The girl blinked and glanced up at the timer she'd studied   
previously. "I still have a minute!" she protested loudly, making a   
face.  
Picking up a small, white timer, Lisa beamed and tossed it to the   
child, who made no hesitation in catching it. "That one, however, is   
up," she countered with a smirk. "I told you, I've got bread to bake."  
"Well... I'm an angel and she was an angel..." Smiling, she hopped  
down off the stool and placed her hands on her little hips. "I'm going   
to reunite the Chibi-Scouts and help defend the world! Just wait!" She   
tossed her head. "I'll be the best Angel of the Moon EVER!"  
As she jetted out of the room, excited, the young woman smiled.   
"Smart little Ambry..." she sighed. "So smart..."  
************  
  
Brushing her pants off gingerly, the young woman shook her head   
and glanced disdainfully at the body. "I TOLD you," she sighed, rolling   
her dark brown eyes. "I'm a master in several forms of martial arts..."   
She rested her hands on her hips, her expression almost regretful. "Rob,  
when will you learn?"  
The man didn't reply, not that Tina had expected him to. He was   
dead, which was actually in her best interest, given that he wanted to   
kill her. She crouched down next to his body, wiping a single dribble of  
blood from her lower lip. "What a waste," she mumbled, patting his head   
of blonde hair. "It's truly a shame that I had to break his neck like   
that..."  
Suddenly, a tiny marble-sized red crystal tumbled out of his   
pocket and fell onto the floor, rolling a few feet on the cold marble   
surface before hitting Tina's black leather boot. She cocked her head   
to one side, staring down at the item. "Hmmm..." Picking it up, she   
scrutinized the oddly smooth surface and the almost nonexistent weight   
of it as it laid in her hand. "Well, I can't easily waste his last cat-  
monster," she sighed, a certain twang of guilt in her voice. "What's a   
girl to do?"  
And, in a blink of blue, she vacated the area, crystal still in   
hand.  
************  
  
Taking a long swig of her tea, Phoebe Solaria Urawa leaned back in  
her chair, allowing her head of blue braids to fall back and stare at   
the ceiling. "I think I was the one to learn something by this trouble   
with the Chibi-Scouts," she breathed with a slight smile touching her   
lips.  
From his spot in the middle of the kitchen table, Orb raised a   
little orange eyebrow in her direction. "Oh, really?" he questioned,   
turning back to his thick packet of computer printouts. "And what would   
that lesson be?"  
She didn't respond immediately, but instead glanced across the   
kitchen at a small family snapshot that was sitting beside the answering  
machine. There was, of course, her father, his brown-black hair falling   
slightly into his eyes. Next to him stood her mother, ocean-blue eyes   
smiling and light azure hair slightly windswept. And then, she stood in   
front of them, no older than twelve years old, wavy hair out of their   
braids and cascading around her face.   
Phoebe sighed, recalling the day they'd spent at the park, which   
was where the picture had been taken. It had been only four weeks after   
her parents had finally decided, after numerous years (and fights), to   
not have any more children. The news, she recalled, had been devastating  
to her. All her life, she'd wanted a little brother to play video games   
with her. And she'd always wanted to teach a younger sister, long hair   
messy, how to dance ballet. But her mother's job came first. Her   
father's job came first.   
So, she was an only child. Not something she was pleased about.  
"Did I ever tell you that my parents decided not to have any more   
children when I was twelve?" she asked the cat in a very conversational   
tone. He glanced up once again, obvious confusion in his expression. "I   
had wanted a little brother or a sister for years and years," she   
clarified with a long sigh, staring into her tea cup, "but my mother was  
too busy with the hospital and didn't want to sacrifice all she had   
before her for another baby. And Dad was just..." She shrugged. "He's   
Dad..."  
Orb blinked at her, still confused. "Does this have something to   
do with what you think you learned?" he inquired, bewilderment in his   
tone.  
Resting her chin in her hands, elbows on the table, she let out a   
mournful sigh. "I would really like a little sibling," she told the cat   
somberly. "I've really ALWAYS wanted a sister or brother, but upon   
seeing the sweet, special relationship that Lyra and Celeste have..."  
"WHAT relationship?" gaped the cat, eyebrows arching into the air.  
"Lyra wasn't even at the meeting!"  
"And the twins have a gift," she sighed, picking up her teacup and  
draining the rest of it. "Each other."  
With a long sigh, he looked at her and smiled sweetly. "Phoebe,   
you can't control your parents, you know..."  
She nodded, still silent, and took her cup to the sink. Then, out   
of no where, she shot him a large grin and a wink. "Oh well!" She   
grinned, starting for the door. "I already have you and Orion!"  
He scowled at her back. "AND WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!"  
************  
  
"Another nasty monster?" Sailor Chibi-Star skidded to a stop in   
her sandals, staring at the giant red-furred cat that was sitting in the  
middle of Main Street. It wasn't really doing anything more than getting  
soaked by the heavy rain, but its eyes were glittering with hate as she   
Chibi-Scout approached it.  
She sighed, shaking her head. "I'd had a nasty feeling, but THIS   
is ridiculous!"  
"So, then," drawled a young, feminine voice from behind her, "do   
you suggest we defeat it?"  
Whirling around, she smiled slightly upon seeing Sailor Chibi-  
Pluto and her twin brother, the Master of Time, standing behind her,   
Time Staffs drawn. Then, remembering the fight that they all were   
having, she narrowed her eyes and tossed her head. "I'm the leader!" she  
protested stubbornly, turning her back to the twosome. "I don't need   
your help!"  
There was a pause before she felt the weight of a hand upon her   
shoulder. "Well, you might not need us, Celeste," stated Peter softly   
from behind her, "but we need you."  
She glanced suspiciously at his gloved hand, unmoving.   
"Maybe we were a little too mean to you," spoke up another young   
voice. There was a glimmer of white and then Angel Moon appeared, a   
sweet smile crossing her lips. "After all, you're the leader, right?"  
"And you did not cheat," admitted Chibi-Pluto in a rather   
reluctant tone, walking to stand before the blonde girl. "Perhaps I was   
a bit too rash in my judgement of you and your test taking abilities."  
She blushed and focused on the ground. "About that..."  
Suddenly, the giant monster hissed, shooting lightning at all four  
Chibi-Scouts. Angel Moon shrieked out and tried to counter the attack,   
but it was too strong for her to parry. All of the children went flying   
in various directions, landing on the hard, wet pavement.  
"What a creature!" announced Chibi-Star, slowly climbing to her   
feet and finding herself unhurt. Upon getting no response from her   
fellow Scouts, she glanced around to find all three of them lying prone.  
She gulped and clenched her fists. Now, she really was alone!  
Rushing over to where Angel Moon laid, her white robes covered   
with dirt and water, she shook the smaller child. "Are you okay?" she   
questioned quickly once the girl had groaned and rolled over onto her   
back.   
Gray eyes slowly fluttered open, and she glanced at her leader. "I  
thought you didn't need us," she laughed, slowly sitting up. "That's   
what you said."  
The eldest of the Chibi-Scouts blanched noticeably but said   
nothing.   
"So, you need us?" questioned Peter with audible amusement in his   
voice as he rolled onto his stomach and glanced across the street at the  
blonde girl.   
She glanced up at the monster, which was hissing its lightning   
into the night sky. The rain still poured down on the four children, and  
the clouds seemed well ready to split completely open.  
"And you require the help of your subordinates to defeat this   
evil?" smiled the green-haired Chibi-Pluto, pushing a few tresses from   
her vividly blue eyes. "Or shall we 'lackeys' leave you?"  
Smiling, Sailor Chibi-Star straightened her fuku and placed her   
hands upon her hips. "Let's get to it!" she announced.  
The monster, which had heard her exclamation, glanced down at the   
quartet of young super heroes as they assembled themselves. It smirked   
proudly, staring down at the Scouts.  
"You take a rainy night and make it into a watery Hell!" yelled   
the leader of the group, bright green eyes lowered and face stern. "And   
for that, I cannot forgive you! Agent for love and justice, I am the   
pretty sailor-suited soldier Sailor Chibi-Star!"  
"And we're the Chibi-Scouts!" chorused the other three children.  
Flipping a strand of hair over her shoulder, Chibi-Star pointed a   
single finger at the creature. "In the name of the Gold Star, I will   
punish you!"  
With a snort, the cat-monster hissed another bolt of lightning at   
them. The four children all launched themselves high into the air,   
easily avoiding the attempt.  
Both of the children of Pluto, still in mid-air, raised their Time  
Keys. "Double Dead Scream!" they hollered in unison.  
A large ball of purple-colored energy flew toward the cat. Unable   
to dodge the powerful attack, the creature howled out in pain and sunk   
to the ground, shaking in agony.  
Angel Moon smiled and, hovering above the creature on her large,   
feathery wings, pointed the palms of her hands at the cretin, glaring.   
"Angelic Glow!" she screamed.  
Pure silver energy shot toward the cat-thing. Once again, it   
screamed out and began to shake violently. Then, it became completely   
motionless.   
Still standing in front of the creature, glaring, Sailor Chibi-  
Star thrust one hand into the air. With one deep breath, she reached   
into null-space, using all her strength to call the Staff of the Keeper   
of the Nebulae into being. Beads of sweat dribbled down her face, mixing  
with the crisp spring rain. Her head ached terribly from the attempt.  
Suddenly, something warm wrapped around her free hand. She opened   
one of her green eyes and glanced sideways to see a smiling Peter   
standing next to her. On his far side, no doubt holding his hand, was   
Chibi-Pluto, and Angel Moon stood beside her.  
Chibi-Star smiled and refocused her energy, reaching into null-  
space. For a long moment, it seemed as nothing would happen and then,   
out of no where, there was a flash of golden light.  
The Staff had appeared.  
She pulled her hand from Peter's, taking the long rod in both   
hands and pacing toward the motionless cat-creature. It seemed to still   
be breathing, but it was nearly impossible to tell from the safe   
distance she was maintaining. Sighing, she glanced back at the other   
Chibi-Scouts, who were silently cheering her on, and then focused on the  
monster.  
"Gold Star, I beseech you," she whispered, voice hardly audible in  
her own ears, "please let this work. They're counting on me..." She   
closed her green eyes, remembering the sweet smile that the young Master  
of Time had shared with her. She smiled, too.  
Then, there was a strange pressure in the air, almost like a clap   
of thunder without any sound. Nothing moved, and the atmosphere seemed   
to be filled with a strange, unseen energy. Slowly, Sailor Chibi-Star   
opened her eyes...  
And, as she did, the monster suddenly reverted back into its tiny,  
pebble-sized form.   
Gasping for air, she sank to her knees, the Staff disappearing   
back into null-space. The other Chibi-Scouts rushed forward, surrounded   
her as she knelt on the damp pavement, trying to breathe.  
"You alright?" questioned Peter quickly, touching one of her   
hands.  
With a small nod, the girl turned her green eyes on where the   
monster had laid. Already, Chibi-Pluto was gathering up the remains,   
studying it intently with her odd eyes. "That was amazing..."  
Angel Moon cocked her head to one side, red braid flipping water   
about as she did so. "You can't control the Keeper, can you?" she asked   
softly, blinking at her friend and leader.  
The older girl blushed and chose to remain silent.  
Smiling, the redhead reached out a hand, no doubt offering to help  
the other child. "Well, that's okay!" she chirped merrily. "We have   
plenty of time to help you with that! Don't worry!"  
They broke out in laughter.   
From atop a nearby building, seven others watched the goings-on   
with intent interest. No one spoke for a long moment as they watched the  
children all begin to laugh, despite the fact that they were both   
soaking wet and battle-worn.  
Then, the young woman with the cone-shaped buns and long pigtails   
spoke. "I'm really proud of them, you know," she commented with a slight  
smile.  
The young man with silver-white hair beside her blinked in   
amazement. "You are, Maiden?" he questioned in doubt. "I would think   
that you're still angry..."  
"Reeny doesn't hold grudges!" giggled Sailor Phoenix, tossing one   
of her dripping braids over her shoulder. "She'd never stay mad!"  
"That fact ignored," sighed the Starlit Prince, shaking his head   
slowly, "what happened with Chibi-Star's cheating fiasco to make the   
other children forgive her so quickly?"  
Everyone glanced suspiciously at the curly-haired blonde at his   
side.  
Rubbing the back of her neck, she smiled and glanced up into the   
overcast sky. "All I know is that she didn't cheat," she responded   
rather quickly, a small blush creeping across her cheeks. "I doubt she'd   
tell me much more..."  
Aurora Borealis raised an eyebrow. "She's your SISTER!" she   
protested loudly, making a face. "Why WOULDN'T she tell you?"  
With a slight smile, Sailor Comet ran a hand through her tangled   
brown hair. "Well, it's a good thing that they're getting along once   
again."  
"You're telling me!" grinned Moon, her thumbs in her sword belt as  
she spoke. "I was seriously afraid for their futures..."  
With a roll of her eyes, Phoenix crossed her arms over her chest.   
"And yet you stomped out of my house when we were trying to reconcile   
them..."  
"What's this?" questioned Helios teasingly, poking his girlfriend   
in the ribs.   
She tossed her head indignantly. "Never mind..."  
Winking rather slyly, Aurora Borealis smiled knowingly at Helios.   
"Ran away nice and quickly..."  
"Shut UP..."  
"Doesn't sound like you wanted to help..." smirked the blonde-  
haired Polaris rather scandalously.  
"I didn't mean anything by it!"  
"You sure?"  
"Shut up already, Richard!"  
"Positive?"  
"I SAID SHUT UP!"  
************  
  
The white limousine pulled up to the curb at Crossroads School   
just as the majority of the student body was arriving. All the children,  
grades 6 through 13, gathered around the elegant-looking vehicle, ooh-  
ing and ahh-ing and wondering both aloud and silently who could possibly  
be within the strange white car. Amongst these onlookers was a short   
12th-grader with corkscrew curls, namely Lyra Mokoti.   
"I heard it's the oldest daughter of one of Serenity's new   
bodyguards!" announced the Student-Counsel-President, Landis, as she   
forced her way past Lyra and to the front of the growing crowd. "And, as  
the President of Crossroads' Student Body, I think I should great her!"  
There were audible groans and some rude words from members of the   
throng of people. But a glare from Landis was a glare that could freeze   
all life, so no one dared to say anything loudly enough to be recognized  
by name.  
With a bite of her lower lip, Lyra checked her watch and frowned   
noticeably. "That's funny," she muttered, not listening to the excited   
exclamations that heralded the limo's door being opened. "Alice is   
running late, today..."  
"WHAT THE HECK?" chorused over fifty school-aged children. Brown   
eyes were pulled from a small watch...  
And, obviously, it came as a huge surprise when a scowling Alice   
Aurora Kino, knuckles white around the handle of her bookbag, stomped   
out of the car and slammed the door behind her. Upon noticing that the   
entire crowd was staring at her, gaping, she lowered her eyes further   
and pursed her lips. "What?"  
The single word, low and angry, echoed through the schoolyard as   
all but two of the makeshift audience members scattered at a record   
pace.   
Landis, her gold-brown hair blowing in the small breeze,   
straightened the bow of her uniform and poked the blonde teen in the   
ribs. "What's her problem?" she hissed under her breath so the fuming   
Alice wouldn't hear her.  
"Lyra, if you see Todd you'd better relay to him that if he EVER   
pulls this again, he will NEVER be able to reproduce!" roared the   
auburn-haired girl loudly, fists clenched to the point that her knuckles  
were white. Her brown eyes sparkled with hatred. "That little ass rented  
me a limo for the day! Could you IMAGINE?" She kicked a stone as hard as  
she could, watching as it ricocheted off various objects and rolled to a  
stop in the center of the school driveway. Then, glancing at her friend   
and the tall brunette beside her, she paused and raised an eyebrow.   
"Hey... Where's Celeste?"  
Suddenly noticing the girl's absence as well, the blonde whirled   
about and made a face. "I could have SWORN she left around the same time  
I did, too..."  
"I TOTALLY forgot!" exclaimed Landis loudly, eyes widening as she   
spoke. "There was a small computer crash last night and, when they went  
back on, something BAD happened!"  
With a roll of her eyes, Alice smirked and rested her free hand on  
one of her hips. "They accidentally deleted a few of your grades and   
then ruined your chances for valedictorian?" she mused, mood quickly   
improving as she teased the enthusiastic girl.  
Frowning and furrowing her brow, Landis glancing warily at Lyra.   
"What IS her problem?"  
The blonde girl shrugged and forged innocence.  
Sighing, the Student Counsel President slung her bag to rest on   
her shoulder and sighed. "They LOST Celeste's test scores and records!"   
she announced, causing a few nearby seventh-graders to stare at her and   
giggle a bit. Tightening one of the two blue ribbons in her hair, she   
sighed. "It's almost like she never took the test," she commented rather  
sourly, adjusting her bag over her shoulder a bit more before turning   
away from them. "Anyway, she's back at Harbor Elementary, and that's   
that. See you later, girls!"  
As the cheery teen left to join a group of her giggling cohorts,   
Alice raised an eyebrow and scratched the side of her head curiously.   
"Her test records are completely gone?" She glanced rather suspiciously   
at her curly-haired friend, who had her nose buried in a thick   
literature book. "Lyra, do you know anything about this?"  
She didn't look up. "Hmmm?"  
"What happened to Celeste's tests?" demanded the auburn-haired   
one, wrinkling her nose. "You would know..."  
Brown eyes remained on the book as the girl turned and began to   
stroll away. "No, actually, I wouldn't..."  
Her friend scurried to catch up. "But you HAVE to know! You're   
her sister!"  
"I don't know anything, honestly... You're too suspicious..."  
"Lair!"  
"No, I'm not."  
"TELL ME!"  
"Honestly, Alice..."  
"Come ON, Lyra... PLEASE?"  
"No."  
"But..."  
"No."  
"LYRA..."  
************  
  
"Maybe I don't want to be alone," grumbled the little girl,   
gingerly leaning back on her elbows as she watched a group of her   
classmates play wiffle-ball. They were laughing and smiling as the small  
plastic orb soared through the air and landed in the thick green grass,   
causing her to sigh miserably. "But, then again, what choice do I have?   
I'm stuck here, with Father at work and Mother...where ever..." She   
wrinkled her little nose and picked up a battered copy of "Anne of Green  
Gables." "But, at least I can enjoy myself..."  
"HEADS UP!" screamed a young, female voice, and Aeris Chiba   
glanced up with her colorful eyes to see a small brown-haired girl   
tearing across the field straight toward her, ponytail streaming behind   
her as she ran. Sighing, the green-haired child stood and started to   
walk out of the way...  
And she gasped when a small white ball fell into her hands.  
"Good catch!" praised the brunette child with a large smile   
crossing her face. "I didn't know you played ball!" Her grin grew as she  
wiped a large spot of dirt from her pleated blue skirt. "Aeris, right?"  
She nodded shyly, glancing down at the ball in her hands,   
expressionless. Gripping it tightly, she held it out to the strange   
girl.  
"Hey, don't be shy!" laughed the girl, taking the ball away gently  
and still grinning excitedly. "I'm Sarah Mokoti! Want to play with us?"  
Motionless, Aeris glanced at the large group of children who were   
gathered in the dirt field, faces and hair and uniforms dusty from too   
many encounters with the still-damp ground. And then she looked to   
Sarah. The brunette girl was grinning, with mud dotting her face and   
uniform. She pressed her lips together and then, out of nowhere, she   
smiled.  
"Why not?" she shrugged, running into the field with her   
classmates and leaving "Anne of Green Gables" far behind.  
************  
  
Chibi-Scouts Say!  
  
(Celeste appears, Cassiopeia draped over one of her shoulders.)  
  
Celeste: Howdy! Today, I'M doing the Sailor Says segments! We learned a   
valuable lesson, didn't we?  
  
Cassiopeia: (smiling) Yep! We learned that--  
  
(She is interrupted by the rest of the Chibi-Scouts, in civilian form,   
appearing and holding their cats, as well.)  
  
Ambriel: (resting her hands on her hips and glaring) YOU didn't tell us   
that you were doing this! Why don't WE get to help?  
  
(Celeste freezes. Kanji for "Foiled again!" scrolls behind her as one of  
her eyebrows begins to twitch.)  
  
Celeste: Well...  
  
Aeris: (with a sigh) Quite unjust for the remaining Chibi-Scouts, do you  
not agree?  
  
Peter: (wrinkles his nose) It's unfair, right?  
  
(They start arguing rather loudly.)   
  
(Ara hops off her owner's shoulder to cross the little stage and glare   
angrily at the silver cat.)  
  
Ara: (angry) And why didn't you tell US about this?  
  
(Cassiopeia sweat-drops. Kanji for "Trouble..." flashes behind her.)  
  
Cassiopeia: (quickly) There's a good reason... Really... Uhh... It's   
just that...  
  
Galileo: (rolls eyes) Thought so.  
  
Carina: (wrinkles nose) You DON'T care about us, do you?  
  
Cassiopeia: (timidly) Well... I didn't mean it... I mean... Ummm, it   
happens that... Uhh...  
  
(Meanwhile, the Chibi-Scouts have begun a giant fistfight. The cats join  
in.)   
  
Celeste: (climbing out of the giant pile of arms and legs and feet and   
claws and clothes and whatnot) The Chibi-Scouts say...  
  
(Everything pauses as the Chibi-Scouts and pets smile at the camera.)  
  
ALL: See ya!  
  
(Fight resumes.)   
  
-I Know-  
Look around...  
(Ambriel stares down at Tokyo from the top tower of Crystal Palace)  
So many things aren't clear...  
(Aeris and Peter stand before the Gate of Time with terrified   
expressions)  
Don't worry, though...  
(Haley smiles and turns a page in her book)  
You know that I'll be there...  
(Orion and Orb chase after the kittens)  
A lot of things are so uncertain...  
(Tara, near tears, bites her lip)  
The future's on its way...  
(Michelle holds Delaney, an amazed smile on her face)  
Look into my crying eyes...  
(Reeny wipes tears off her cheeks while Serenity watches nervously)  
Don't take your love away!  
(Alice slams the door in her father's face)  
  
Sometimes, the road looks long...  
(Lyra looks up at the North Star)  
And sometimes, the world seems wrong...  
(Phoebe hugs her mother around the waist)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(The six Galactic Sailors hold up their lockets)  
  
Sometimes, you feel weak...  
(Richard grabs onto the wrist of a falling Celeste)  
And sometimes, the future looks bleak...  
(Terrence shakes his head as Sailor Pluto walks through the Gate of Time)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(Ambriel, Celeste, and Aeris all hold up their transformation pens)  
  
Times will change...  
(Tara, robes flying, chases Joshua around the courtyard)  
People will change, too...  
(Haley plays with her now-long hair)  
But deep inside...  
(Helios takes Reeny's hands in his)  
I always will love you...  
(Richard bends down to kiss Lyra)  
I suppose there are questions now...  
(Peter tugs on Terrence's pant leg)  
The answers are so far...  
(Alice and Phoebe dive for a floating sphere and miss)  
But look at me and smile now...  
(Hannah and Brian both smile as Alex takes Delaney into her arms)  
I am your guiding star!  
(Lyra and Richard stare at Celeste and Peter, who are watching the   
sunset)  
  
Sometimes, the road looks long...  
(Lyra looks up at the North Star)  
And sometimes, the world seems wrong...  
(Phoebe hugs her mother around the waist)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(The six Galactic Sailors hold up their lockets)  
  
Sometimes, you feel weak...  
(Richard grabs onto the wrist of a falling Celeste)  
And sometimes, the future looks bleak...  
(Terrence shakes his head as Sailor Pluto walks through the Gate of Time)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(Ambriel, Celeste, and Aeris all hold up their transformation pens)  
  
I know...  
(Chibi-Pluto, the Angel Moon, and Chibi-Star stand together)  
I know...  
(The Galactic Sailors stand together)  
All you need is love...  
(All nine girls stand together)  
All you need...is...love...  
(The Prince and Princess of the Stars kiss)  
************  
Yay! The end! It's wonderful!  
  
Oh, and--by the way--the SMS dub is awesome. EVERYONE should see it!   
Hotcha!  
  
--Kate  



	9. Easier Said Than Felt

Easier Said Than Felt  
  
Author's Ramblings: My notes on this one (I'd written some dialog at   
Miss Doyle's English Review while watching Bri-chan and Editor Christina  
actually learn, though both will state that it did no good) were really   
corny. So, I may not use them, given that I wrote a monologue for Helios  
that sounded like something out of a made-for-TV movie and I do NOT want  
this to be like that. I don't care if "Galactic" reminds Andrea of Alan   
and Ann (add a plot twist, badguys send out monster thing, monster gets   
beaten, badguys whine), because it's NOT a made-for-TV movie! So there!  
***Also, Alexandra's name is STILL Alex. I don't care if the dub called   
her Amara. As much as I like the dub, and as much as I approve of the   
new episodes, I remain to be very partial to my names. So sue me.***  
************  
Last time:  
  
A Chibi-Scout blood bath, really. A bickering fight broke out, and the   
kids WOULD NOT stop arguing. It was based upon the fact that, in taking   
the junior high entrance exams, Celeste got every question right. She   
just "knew" the answers and really couldn't explain why; it was later   
blamed on the Keeper of the Nebulae. Ambriel also wanted to know where   
she came from, and Aeris was lonely. And that was all she wrote, really,  
except Alice has threatened the reproductive happiness of Todd Walker,   
the young man who will not stop asking her to the prom. And Rob was   
killed by Tina after they fought.  
  
And that, my friends, is where the story beings.  
************  
  
"Again with the flowers and candy and pretty gestures of   
appreciation!" groaned the girl with a flip of her auburn-topped head.   
"One of these days, I will go after that boy with a kitchen knife and   
let him beg for mercy before he loses his..." Glancing at her parents,   
both of whom sat on the couch, she paused and pursed her lips. "He'll   
lose Chibi-Todd, let's just say that!!"  
In a fashion rather typical to males, Ken Asanuma crossed his legs   
before turning to his fuming daughter. "Something wrong, dear?" he   
questioned in a falsetto tone, brown eyes darting from her to the wooden   
block that held the knives and back to her. "You seem tense..."  
With an audible groan, the teen opened a large black garbage bag   
and turned it upside-down, spilling the contents on the coffee table as   
she did so. Red, heart-shaped boxes of fancy chocolates, multiple   
bunches of both silk and real flowers, books of romantic poetry, video   
and cassette tapes, and other gifts--many of which were not yet opened--  
spilled onto the table. Two pairs of eyes, one set chestnut and the   
other emerald, widened to gape at the heap of goods.   
Alice, on the other hand, tossed the bag over her shoulder and   
sunk to her knees, slowly sorting out all the different gifts into piles.  
"I hadn't gone to the orchestra room since right before spring break,"   
she explained with a sigh and a shake of her head, "because I joined the  
Tokyo Junior Orchestra at Crystal Music Academy again." She made a face   
upon picking up a single rose that was the approximate shade of the   
coffee table and sighed once again. "Well, Todd had been dropping gifts   
in my empty locker almost everyday since we got back from break..."  
"Two weeks," her father commented after counting on his fingers.  
"...and I JUST NOW went to clean it out."  
Wrinkling her nose, Lita placed her pencil on the table and folded   
her hands upon her lap, glancing up from the restaurant bills that she   
had been studying. "Well, Alice," she suggested rather pleasantly, "why   
don't you just go to prom with the boy?"  
"Because he's really NOT my type," sighed the teen with a wrinkle   
of her nose. "I mean, he's smart, and sweet, and kind, and extremely   
tolerant, BUT..." She shrugged noncommittally. "I don't know."  
The two adults exchanged wary glances.   
With a wistful gleam in her eye, the girl fell onto her back,   
staring up at the white-painted ceiling rather serenely. "The truth is   
that I really don't think a relationship with him would lead to eternal   
bliss. It would never be true love..." Blushing a bit, she sat back up   
and adverted her gaze from that of her parents'. "Not like you two have,   
being as you're soul mates and all..."  
Her mother sighed slightly at the comment, staring a secretive   
smile with her best friend. Then, with a shake of her head, she focused   
on her daughter and bit her lower lip. "Then what kind of guy do you   
look for?"  
"Well, I dunno," admitted Alice shyly, glancing up at the ceiling   
as she pondered on the question. "I guess I'd want someone who's very   
out-going and spontaneous... And smart..." She smiled and rested her   
chin between her thumb and forefinger. "And he should be goofy, too, and   
just a LITTLE wild, but--in the end--he should be a great friend." She   
sighed, her grin turning almost bittersweet in nature. "Wouldn't that be  
the day..."  
Ken chewed thoughtfully on the eraser of his pencil. "Sounds like   
your friend Phoebe, a little," he put in nonchalantly, not catching the   
stern glare from his partner on the couch.  
"Oh my God! Thanks for reminding me!" Jumping to her feet, the   
teen grabbed her purse from the small table by the door. "I PROMISED   
Pheebs I'd go over and help her and Haley with some errands!" she   
exclaimed, starting out of the apartment. "Don't wait up!"  
As soon as the front door closed behind her, Lita took one of the   
many half-wrapped boxes from the coffee table and whacked her companion   
upside the head with it. "Did you have a brain lapse or are you just   
plain STUPID?" she spat, casting him an angry glare. "Of course that   
'perfect guy' sounded like Phoebe!"  
Ken tossed a handful of Mint Meltaways into his mouth and offered   
the box to the fuming brunette. "These are good," he managed, chewing on  
the sweet treats and wiggling the box right beneath her nose. "Want a   
couple?"  
She pushed the box away and leaned back against the couch,   
clenching and unclenching her fists very slowly. "Alice is in love with   
Phoebe," she explained in a tone very similar to that which a mother   
would use when talking to a small child. "Didn't you hear what she was   
saying?"  
"Come ON, Leets," sighed the man, rolling his chestnut eyes as he   
ate yet another piece of candy. "If she really cared about Phoebe...like  
that..." He wrinkled his nose and buzzed his lips as he thought.   
"Well... Wouldn't she tell us what was going on?"  
"Of COURSE not!" she retorted angrily, lowering her green eyes at   
him as he, once again, popped several of the candies into his mouth.   
"She's an independent girl and doesn't want us to think she's   
incapable... Besides..." Noticing that the man was too busy eating the   
candy to listen, she groaned aloud and snatched away the box. "Give me   
those, you twit!"  
Sighing, he patted her on the arm supportively and flashed her a   
hopeful smile. "If Alice was in love with her friend, don't you think   
that we'd see more of Phoebe around HERE?"  
Blanching a bit, Lita crossed her arms and tossed her ponytailed   
head. "Not necessarily..."  
"And don't you think that she'd at least MENTION the fact that   
she'd found a love interest?"  
She froze and her expression turned from smug to thoughtful.   
"Well..."  
"And don't you think that she has enough faith in us to know that   
we wouldn't love her any less, even if she WERE gay?"  
Nodding slightly, the woman smiled. "I suppose that to be true..."  
"And--OOH! Chocolate-covered cherries? Cool!"  
She lowered her eyes and glanced over at him. Already, the shaggy-  
haired man was ripping open the large heart-shaped box and shoving   
chocolates in his mouth by the handful.  
"KEN!"  
He glanced up and blinked at her. "What?"  
She shook her head in a mix of annoyance and disgust and turned   
back to the restaurant ledgers.   
************  
  
"They're not DOING anything!" she whined, green eyes staring   
through a small crack between the door and its frame as she spoke into   
the telephone receiver. "They just seem to be TALKING, Miss Venus..."  
A loud, obviously exasperated huffing sound came from the other   
end of the line. "Well, that's not a very good recognizance report!"   
grumbled the woman from the other end. "Can't you do any... Hang on...   
NO! BECKY! You're fourteen! Act your age!" There was a sigh. "Tell me   
exactly what you see, or I'll PERSONALLY see to it that you get to meet   
a swimming pool really soon!"  
Sighing, the small cat nudged the kitchen door a little farther   
open and stared at the two figures on the couch. "She's reading," she   
stated in a rather annoyed tone, "with her head resting a little bit on   
his shoulder. Her hair is up in a high ponytail, like she usually has   
it, and she's still wearing her school uniform." She wrinkled her little  
pink nose, suddenly realizing how silly her supposed "mission" really   
was. "And then Richard's sitting on the couch next to her, talking about  
something... Can't make out his words... And she's nodding a little."  
"That's IT?" grumbled the voice with a low growl. "What about   
sowing the seeds of youth and having some FUN in your life?"  
Cassiopeia raised a single silver eyebrow. "But, Miss Venus, I   
thought that's what you DIDN'T want them to do..."  
"Whatever. Bye." There was a click.  
Sighing, she stepped on the 'off' button of the cordless phone and  
watched the little red light blink off. "Why in the world am I doing   
this for that insane woman?" she questioned aloud, staring at the white   
object with another soft sigh. "I'm biting the hand that feeds me..."   
She wrinkled her nose. "Almost literally."  
Pushing the door open, she padded out into the living room, her   
eyes focusing on the light tan carpeting as she neared the couch. Two   
pairs of eyes glanced down at her.  
With a slight smile, the young woman closed her book and cocked   
her head toward the little kitten. "Is something wrong, Cass?" she asked  
with concern in her voice, eyebrows knitting together in worry. "You   
seem upset about...something..."  
She hopped onto the small wooden coffee table and settled herself   
down, sitting atop a small stack of magazines. "Is it wrong to go   
against your friends for the sake of another person's happiness?"  
Lyra blinked. "Excuse me?"   
"Well..." The kitten sighed miserably and hung her head. "Let's   
say that you made a promise a long time ago to do something," she began,  
a guilty undertone in her voice, "and you were doing it. But then   
pretend that what you were doing wasn't very nice and you feel bad, but   
it was a promise and you don't want to break it and..."  
"I don't understand what you're saying, Cassiopeia," stated   
Richard, dark blue eyes staring through his glasses and at the saddened   
pet. "Did you do something that you're regretting?"  
She dared not respond but did nod slightly, still refusing to look  
up.  
With a slight smile touching her lips, the blonde sunk to her   
knees before the table and caught the cat's chin between two fingers,   
pulling the green-eyed gaze to meet her own stare. "Don't worry. If you   
follow your heart, you'll meet what's right eventually." She ran a hand   
down the silver-furred back of the small animal. "So, don't worry."  
"If you say so, Lyra," sighed the kitten, hopping from her seat.   
"If you say so..."  
************  
  
He sighed and brushed a strand of hair from her beautiful   
eyes before focusing back on his lunch of pork ramen and green tea.   
"So," he questioned with a sly smile on his face, "what's today's game   
plan, eh?"  
The young woman smiled back and sipped her bottled water slowly,   
smiling across the small stone table at her boyfriend. "I don't know,   
Eric," she admitted with the same sort of sly smile touching her   
features, "but it's a lovely spring Saturday, after all..."  
And that, it was. The sun shone down on Tokyo Central Park as it   
did on most other days, but today the birds were chirping, children   
were playing, rowboat oars were splashing through the bay, and the   
breeze was just strong enough to rustle the soft brown hair of a young   
woman who was picking at her chicken teriyaki. Eric Hartford sighed and   
took one of her hands in his, finding a small, startled gasp as his   
reward. The girl blushed and smiled, trying not to meet her gaze for   
fear she'd fall into the bright copper eyes that stared across the table  
at her.   
Instead, she poked at a piece of chicken. "We could rent a   
rowboat," she suggested softly, suddenly finding herself at a loss for   
both words and appetite, "and then see a movie, tonight."  
Eric Hartford gently ran his thumb along the top of her hand,   
still gazing longingly at the young woman. "You see?" he asked softly,   
voice low and sweet. "THIS is why I love you so much, Haley."  
Brown eyes flew wide as the hand was quickly pulled from the young  
man's grasp. Curly brown hair was suddenly falling back into those eyes,  
too, as the girl pushed back her chair and gaped at her companion.   
"WHAT did you call me?!" she spat, confused, angry, and amazed at the   
same time.  
"Fiona!" he gulped, nearly choking on his half-full mouth of ramen  
as he spoke. "I said Fiona! I quite clearly--"  
"Liar!" she challenged, pointing an accusing forefinger at him.   
"You called me HALEY!" Her voice carried in the wind and echoed across   
the large park, and several bystanders at the nearby food stand turned   
to stare at the brewing fight. "You called me Haley!"  
Face slowly reddening, Eric ran a finger underneath the collar of   
his shirt, avoiding the intense brown-eyed glare that he was the focus   
of. Surely... Surely she couldn't... He gulped and faked a smile. "Isn't  
your middle name Haley?" he managed, trying desperately not to sound too  
pretentious.  
"MY MIDDLE NAME IS CAROLYN!" she roared, capping up her water   
quickly and throwing it into her backpack, no longer focusing her eyes   
on him. Zipping the bag up, she turned her back and started to walk   
away, muttering unkind things about the young man to herself.  
"WAIT!" he pleaded, running forward and catching onto her shoulder  
with a hand. "Isn't there something--ANYTHING--that I can do to make up   
for this?"  
Whirling around, Fiona gingerly removed his hand from her shoulder  
and jabbed a single finger at his chest. "All you can ever talk about   
is that ex-girlfriend of yours, you know," she hissed, her eyes slowly   
tearing up as the glare faded away into sadness. "This entire time, it   
was always about her. And I know you love her..." Stifling a sob, she   
looked down at her shaking hand and sighed, removing her accusing finger  
from the front of his shirt. "Eric," she whispered, wiping away a tear   
with the back of her hand and glancing up at him, "follow your heart,   
not your mind. Go back to Haley." She landed a small peck on his cheek   
and forced a brave little smile despite the tears that were slowly   
falling down her cheeks. "At least for my sake..."  
With a sigh and a slight shake of his head, Eric Hartford watched   
as the younger teen slowly strode down the dirt path, head held high. He  
perched himself on the edge of the small stone table, neither happy nor   
sad at her departure, but accepting each small step as a dull, heart-  
wrenching part of life.  
He sunk back in his seat, running his chopsticks through his ramen  
and slowly pressing his lips together, deciding what to do with himself.  
"I don't know what to think," he muttered, draining the cup of tea with   
a contemplative expression on his face. "Yes, I love Haley... BUT..."  
'You can't just keep breaking up with me for frivolous reasons,   
Eric Hartford...this time, you're letting me go...for good...'  
Groaning in annoyance, he slammed the table with his fist. "Damn!"  
he swore, frustration and anger mixed within his tone. "I don't believe   
that I'm living this life!" He leaned back in the seat and glared up at   
the sunny blue sky. "The girl I love will never again look at me or love  
me... The girl I had a chance with knows the truth..." He wrinkled his   
nose and buried his head in his hands. "I can't do this alone! I need   
some help!"  
For a long moment, Eric was silent, contemplating his situation by  
sitting on the cool stone chair, letting his ramen slowly lose its warm.  
Then, with a slight smile, he perked up his head and clasped his hands   
together triumphantly. "But," he exclaimed, grin growing even wider, "I   
know just the person!"  
************  
  
Laying alone in the large double bed, the young man sighed and   
tucked his hands behind his head, staring up at the silvery-white canopy  
above him. His breath came and went in ragged, almost unnerved, gasps as  
he glanced from the canopy to a small, black box at his side. It was   
beautiful little box, really, covered completely with velvet and trimmed  
in gold. A box fit for a Queen... He almost laughed at the thought.  
He sighed once again and sat up, placing the box in the palm of   
his hand and staring at it with a slight smile touching his lips. "If my  
Maiden knew how much anguish this was," he commented to himself, slowly   
opening the hinged top to gaze at the treasure within, "she'd surely   
giggle at me and do the honors herself..." His smile widened and his   
blue-eyed gaze grew more wistful. "Such is my Maiden..."  
Silently, he ran his index finger around the small gold band and   
the bright, shining diamond that it held, licking his parched lips as he  
did so. It was beautiful... The finest in Elysionian jewelry... A prize  
for any woman...   
Taking the ring from its case, he weighed it in the palm of his   
hand, still staring at it with a sparkle of melancholy in his eyes. It   
was so light, so feathery... Specially designed, really, just for the   
one who would wear it... The only one he could ever have wear it... The   
beautiful, irreplaceable--  
"COME BACK HERE!" screamed a voice, and it was all he could do to   
shove the ring back into the black container and shove it under the   
nearest pillow before the bedchamber door burst open.   
In flew Ambriel, her white Princess dress completely covered with   
what appeared to be spaghetti sauce, her red braid dripping wet and   
flopping behind her like a dead fish. She slid under the bed easily,   
leaving a streak of red on the floor, panting. "Hide me!" she hissed   
quickly, cowering as she pulled the large white quilt partially off the   
bed to further hide herself. "Lisa's mighty mad..."  
The stomping off feet could be heard as a tall blonde woman   
trudged through the door. "Helios, where is she?" inquired Lisa, wiping   
a trail of pasta sauce from her face. "Where is that naughty girl?"  
He pursed his lip, trying not to laugh. "You look ridic..." The   
young handmaiden, who was completely covered with red sauce and noodles,  
turned her azure-eyed glare on him, and he cleared his throat. "I   
mean... What happened?"  
She brushed her pasta-ridden hair from her face and wrinkled her   
nose at the young man. "She was trying to 'help' me make Serenity and   
Endymion's lunch but decided to help me WEAR it, instead," she shot   
darkly, not sounding to be the normally upbeat Lisa Warner. "When I get   
my hands on her..."  
Giggling sounded from beneath the bed. Young, female giggling.  
"Ambriel! You're getting sauce all over the floor!" exclaimed the   
young woman. Suddenly forgetting all her woes, she leapt for the red   
streak that colored the white marble and wiped up the mess with the edge  
of her already soiled apron. "I'm in enough trouble for giving you a   
makeover last week and letting you write 'Go Angel Moon' on the wall   
with your mother's lipsticks! Get out here right now!"  
With a grunt of effort, the girl climbed out from beneath the bed   
and wiped her hands on the clean part of her gown. "I'm sorry, Lisa,"   
she mumbled, scuffing her feet together. "I didn't mean to make a   
mess..."  
She seized the child by the wrist and began to pull her out of the  
room. "You'd BETTER be sorry!" she warned sourly, tossing her head.   
"Could you imagine the mess you would have made if you'd gone into the   
great library or something? Be glad that your Mama and Papa have so   
little that can be ruined! And another thing..."  
Helios sighed as he watched the young governess and handmaiden   
drag the girl from the room and close the door behind them both, once   
again leaving him to the sweetness of peace and quiet. He smiled   
slightly, withdrawing the box from its hiding place and fingering the   
soft fabric that surrounded it gently.  
"I don't really know how Reeny will react," he lamented, shaking   
his head. "I love her, and she loves me... But being together like this   
is so different from marriage..." He leaned his head against the great   
wooden headboard of the bed and closed his tired blue eyes. "I've wanted  
to be with her since the day we met... But this..." He sighed a second   
time. "God, what AM I doing?"  
************  
  
Slamming the door behind her, Phoebe Urawa tossed her braids and   
smiled at her friend. "Thanks for helping me with the groceries!" she   
exclaimed, adjusting her three large shopping bags as she spoke. "I   
never would have guessed how much trouble shopping for three mouths   
would be! When it was me and Marie, there was no problem, but now..."  
"I know," responded Alice with a smile, stepping into the kitchen   
of the ranch house and placing her bags on one of the countertops.   
"You'd never guess how much my dad eats, now that he spends so much time  
with us!" Slowly pulling the different food items from her bag, the teen  
smiled cheerily at the young blue-haired woman who sat at the kitchen   
table. "Oh! Hi, Mrs. Urawa! Nice to see you!"  
Suddenly, the world seemed to come to a jarring halt. The three   
bags that the younger of the two teens held came crashing to the tile   
kitchen floor as both girls stared at the woman in the middle of the   
room. As always, the light blue hair was short and slightly wind-blown,   
and the navy eyes were large and sweet even hidden between bifocals. She  
didn't so much as glance at the auburn-headed child but instead focused   
on her daughter, who was now scrambling to pick up all the things she'd   
dropped. "It's been a long time," admitted Amy softly, tucking a strand   
of hair behind an ear and staring at her daughter. "You look well."  
Blushing slightly at the comment, the girl with the braids managed  
to shove all her different groceries onto the counter before meeting the  
intense stare of her mother. She felt her throat start to close up and   
gulped. "Too long..." she whispered, her voice hoarse.  
"Uhhh..." Grabbing her car keys from the counter, Alice Kino   
flashed the two Urawa women a brilliant smile and started for the front   
door, slightly red in the face. "I... I was just going..." she   
stammered, brushing the hair from her chestnut eyes. "See you later,   
Pheebs..."  
Neither of the women really listened, even as the door slammed and  
a car started in the driveway and roared away. They just stared, eyes   
locked, neither speaking nor moving.   
Then, without emotion, the adult folded her hands in her lap and   
pressed her lips together. "So... How are you doing, dear?" she   
questioned softly, wrenching her gaze away from that of her daughter and  
focusing on the floor as she did so. "I've been meaning to call, but   
I've been horrendously busy..."  
Phoebe crossed over to the groceries that were scattered about the  
counter top and began to put them in their proper places. "I'm sorry   
that your job is more important than your daughter," she countered   
coolly, slowly pulling a few remaining boxes from the paper bags that   
Alice had brought into the house. "It's a shame, too, because there   
have been times I've wanted you be with you, Mother."  
"There are times that I have missed you, Phoebe," responded Amy   
without annoyance at her daughter's bland criticism. "But that must be   
thrown into the past, because you are fighting a new enemy. Without the   
help of Sailor Pluto--"  
"Damn it, Mother!" spat the teen, slamming a cup of instant   
noodles onto the counter in anger. "We can actually do this by   
ourselves! I don't believe you came back just to give a lecture on the   
wonders of the Planet Mistresses!" She lowered her ice-colored eyes at   
the woman, crossing her arms stubbornly. "Since the day this new enemy   
first came, we've been fine..." She furrowed her brow, the bittersweet   
memory of the Scouts' slight fear and lack of hope pressing its way into  
the front of her mind. "Well, we were shaky, but not any more! We're   
GOOD Scouts!"  
With a sigh, her mother ran a hand through her short blue hair,   
avoiding the hateful glare of her child. "All things considered," she   
retorted rather dryly, "you Scouts are still children. And you're not   
ready to face this challenge."  
Throwing down the box of cereal she held, the girl made a face and  
stomped across the room to face the adult face-to-face. "We can face   
anything!" she spat angrily, clenching her fists and glowering down at   
her mother. "We can believe in ourselves and fight for what's right and   
save this planet from the same sort of thing that YOU saved it from! The  
only difference is that--"  
"I'm home!" called a pleasant voice from the hallway as the front   
door slammed shut. "And Pheebs, you're going to be really pleased! There  
was a two-for-one deal on boxes of nails, so we should be able to fix   
the loose boards down in the dance studio..." Freezing in mid-step, the   
young woman dropped her two bags and pressed her lips together   
uncertainly. "Uhh... Am I interrupting something?"  
Shaking her head violently, the braid-haired teen suddenly sprung   
into action and scooped up the two ignored bags on the floor, placing   
them on the counter beside the now-forgotten groceries. "Not at all!"   
she exclaimed cheerily, flashing a sweet smile at her friend and mother.  
"You're just in time, Haley, because Marie will be home any minute!"  
Amy's navy eyes widened slightly at the mention of her silver-  
haired sister-in-law. "Marie?"  
"Oh, really?" questioned Haley as she started toward the pantry,   
scratching her head and trying to stay away from the confused woman at   
the kitchen table. "Then what should I make tonight?"  
"What should SHE make?" inquired the blue-haired adult softly,   
still amazed and confused at the same time. "What's going on here?"  
Turning to face her mother, Phoebe sighed and shook her head   
slowly, pursing her lips. Several times, she started to open her mouth   
but then stopped, not sure what to say. The only sound in the room was   
the clatter of cans and boxes in the small closet as the brunette teen   
rooted around for something to cook for dinner. Finally, she took in a   
deep breath and set her face into a determined expression. "We need to   
talk."  
Oblivious, Haley started whistling the song "Initial U" rather   
loudly, pulling a few cans of pre-made spaghetti sauce from the pantry.   
Amy nodded to her daughter and rose slowly, brushing off her hands  
on her knee-length blue skirt. "The living room?" she asked in a tone   
that was low enough that only she and her child heard.  
The teen shook her head slowly and sighed softly to herself. "I   
think that I should show you something first," she stated, starting for   
the hallway.  
Confused, the adult followed.  
************  
  
"It's just her and me now," sighed the young, raven-haired woman   
as she lovingly stroked the feathers of the large emu. Her hair, which   
usually fell about her shoulders in a straight, wave-less mass, was   
pulled back and into a low ponytail. Her normally nondescript black wool  
uniform was replaced by a flattering, form-fitting ebony gown that   
shimmered and sparkled as she moved. Once again, she sighed, pulling the  
leather strap of the emu's saddle as hard as she could to tighten it.   
"And I never thought that I'd stoop so low as to fight, especially not   
dressed like THIS..." She scowled down at her outfit, the glimmering   
fabric shining in the pale candlelight of the chamber as she moved.   
With a shake of her feathered head, the emu yawned and stretched   
one of his legs. "You always complain," he drawled, deep voice booming   
through the makeshift 'stable' his young mistress had created. "But,   
Tina, when the end comes..."  
Laughing at her pet's antics, the young woman nodded and finished   
tightening the saddle onto her bird. "You're right, of course, Norton,"   
she smiled, freeing her tresses of the small rubber band and letting   
them fall freely about her round, tanned face. "When Ginnie and I rule   
the world, it will be wonderful." She placed a single boot in the   
stirrup and pulled herself up onto the bird to sit sidesaddle, long   
skirt flowing about her long legs as she did so. "And it starts, of   
course, with finding the Crystal of Illusion and killing the Sailor   
Scouts."  
"Quite wicked, my dear," grinned the emu, unfurling his brown-  
feathered wings and flapping them lightly in the room. "I'm proud!"   
She patted his head lovingly. "You should be," she chortled,   
seizing the reigns and wiggling her bottom to fit more precisely into   
the saddle. "You helped teach me!"  
Norton chuckled and, at that, began walking down the long chamber   
and toward the light, ready for takeoff.  
************  
  
"I've tried so hard to make her like me..." sighed the young man,   
slowly stirring his cup of tea as he spoke, bright cobalt eyes dimmed by  
despair. "And yet, she pushes me away..."  
His companion, a tall sandy-haired woman with sparkling green-gray  
eyes, sighed and crossed her legs as she glanced across the small table   
at the boy. "That's tough," she admitted with a nod, neither smiling nor  
frowning at his lament. "But why in the world would you ask ME to give   
you love advice, Todd?"  
He ran a hand through his dark brown, almost black, tresses and   
took a long sip of green tea in silence, silent though the sounds of   
other customers in the coffee shop echoed through his ears. "You're   
smart, Miss Ten'ou," he finally responded as she continued to stare.   
"And I thought, since maybe you know her through all your   
instrumental...experience..."  
"Oh, I know her," chuckled the blonde, draining her coffee and   
motioning for the single, purple-haired waitress to bring her another,   
"and I'll have to say that Alice takes after her mother in oh-so-many   
ways." She smiled and rested an elbow on the table. "And--and you'll   
have to trust me on this one--those Kino women are tough when it comes   
to changing their minds."  
Todd's eyebrows knitted together in a combination of thought and   
displeasure as he listened to his piano teacher speak. "Really?"  
Alexandra nodded and waited for the chipper waitress to pour   
another cup of coffee before continuing. "Little gifts," she told him in  
a slightly confidential manner, "mean nothing to Alice. Her mother would  
have fallen head-over-heels for you, perhaps, but not that cellist."   
She furrowed her brow and screwed her face into an annoyed grimace. "And  
my guess is that the only way to bowl her over is to be straight   
forward."  
"Straight forward?" he echoed, confused and amazed at the same   
time.  
Sipping her drink, the adult nodded in response. "You have to go   
up to her and tell her how you feel without the pomp and circumstance,"   
she explained as she set her glass back onto its saucer. "You're looking  
at the problem like most boys do; you're thinking that she needs to be   
wooed and impressed." Shaking her head, Alex cupped her chin in a hand   
and sent a slightly disappointed smile at him. "The only way to REALLY   
impress her is to, of course, tell her."  
"You think?" Todd questioned, sounding quiet uncertain. "Because,   
after seeing the type of people that Alice hangs out with, it's hard to   
think..."  
"I know, I know," his teacher responded, rising slowly and   
throwing a few bills on the table to cover the expense of the makeshift   
meeting. "But, as your piano teacher and as some sort of screwed up   
role-model, I'd suggest you listen." She pulled her sports coat from the  
back of the chair. "See you on Monday at your lesson, and don't be   
late."  
He nodded and waved his thanks to her, staring at the woman's back  
until the glass door of the coffee shop slid shut behind her. Then, he   
sighed and frowned, focusing on his half-finished cup of tea.  
"Tell her?" he questioned, staring at the steam as it rose off the  
brown-black liquid. "Just say: 'Alice Kino, I'm in love with you?'"   
There was a pause as his frown melted away into an impassive   
pursing of lips.   
And then, he smiled slightly, blue eyes brightening just a bit.  
"That," Todd said to himself, "just might work."  
************  
  
"This is..." Amy was incredulous as she perched on the edge of the  
large, blue-sheeted double bed, gazing around the room with wide navy   
eyes and an amazed expression on her face. "Nothing's changed, Phoebe!"  
The teen nodded, leaning against the large oak bureau as she did   
so, also examining the room. As it had been since Marie had forced   
cleanliness upon the Urawa household, the room was spotless, free of all  
dust and clutter. A dresser, bureau, and small desk were of polished,   
shining oak, and both the bed and two table-clothed tables were cloaked   
in fabric of deep, royal blue. The walls were a light azure color, which  
appeared white in the sunlight that peeked through the navy-colored   
draperies. Small knick-knacks and pictures were scattered about, as   
they'd always been, at the eight shelves that adorned the wall were   
still stacked with an impossible amount of books, ranging from college   
texts to "pulp" novels to a few old picture books. "Why do you think   
it's all the same, Mother?" questioned the braid-headed one softly, her   
face devoid of all emotion.  
The adult settled herself farther on the bed, drawing her long   
legs up onto the soft surface and crossing them. "Did you miss us so   
much, Phoebe?" she asked quietly, her eyes searching the girl's face for  
any possible sign of emotion.  
She found none as her daughter pulled out the desk chair and   
straddled it, her long dancer's legs shown off by her khaki shorts as   
she leaned her arms over the back of the chair and sighed. "I didn't   
miss you, I don't think," she returned, still as icy in her demeanor as   
her eyes were in color. "But I did think that you would come back. At   
least to visit. At least at Christmas."  
Amy nearly protested, but something, which sparkled slightly in   
the afternoon sun, halted her objection. And that something was a single  
crystal tear rolling down the face of her daughter. Gasping inwardly,   
she raised a single hand to her opened mouth and felt herself   
involuntarily gulp back the rising lump in her throat. "Phoebe, I..."  
"Marie moved in only a month or two ago," continued the teen,   
wiping away the traitorous tear and trying desperately to remain the   
actress and to hold in all the pain and despair she felt within. "And   
Haley only slightly after. Both had problems. Both needed me." She   
choked back what seemed to be a sob and closed her tearful eyes quickly,  
to hide her urge to cry. "It's nice to be loved, appreciated, and   
needed, you know."  
Rising, the adult took a shaky step forward, ready to console her   
daughter, but it was too late. The teen, really no more than a girl in   
the light of her heartfelt despair, hunched over herself in the seat,   
resting her head against the back of the chair and crying softly as her   
braids fell about her face. Amy took a deep breath, unsure what to say,   
but could feel the cold hand of guilt grasping her heart.  
"Phoebe..." she breathed, kneeling on the ground beside her crying  
child. "Phoebe, I am so sorry. I didn't think..." She sighed and could   
feel her own eyes begin to ache with the pain of unshed tears. "I know   
that you have no need to forgive me, but with life so hectic... I   
couldn't even... And I didn't..."  
Suddenly, there was a loud beeping sound coming from the teen's   
back pocket. With a long sigh, she pulled the small, blue-colored   
Mercury computer from her back pocket and flipped it open as she wiped   
away a few stray tears. "Phoenix," she coughed, rubbing her red eyes as   
she waited for the grainy picture on the screen to focus. "What seems to  
be the trouble?"  
"I don't know exactly," responded a voice as the face of an older   
teen with bright pink cone-shaped buns and pigtails, "but Diana just   
rushed in babbling about transforming and giant flying emus and a   
monster waltzing down the street that your school's on." She paused, and  
her expression turned both serious and concerned. "Have you been   
crying?" she questioned quickly, eyes seeming to run across the other   
girl's face as she spoke. "Your eyes are red and your face is all   
streaked with tears."  
Rolling her bloodshot, ice-colored eyes, the younger teen shot one  
long look at her mother before nodding at the screen. "Okay, then.   
Crystal Music Academy. I'm on my way!"  
The words "Moon out" were muffled by the snapping shut of the blue  
computer. The braid-headed girl turned to her mother, who had climbed   
to her feet long before the short conversation between Scouts had ended,  
and smiled slightly. "There's a battle," she stated plainly, clambering   
off the chair and putting the computer back in her pocket. "I think I'm   
needed."  
"Good," smiled the adult, running a hand through her short blue   
hair as she looked at her daughter with adoration. Their eyes met, blue   
against blue and--despite the good three inches between the two--they   
managed to stand nose-to-nose for a long moment of silence before Amy   
began to speak again. "I'm proud, Phoebe. Very."  
Smiling, the teen quickly hugged her mother, her eyes sparkling   
with delight. Then, she rushed out the door and tore her way down the   
hallway, screaming, "Haley! We've got to go! Attack at C.M.A.! Let's   
jet!"  
With a wistful sigh, her mother sat back down on the bed and   
listened as the door slammed and a car took off down the drive. "If I   
had maintained that sort of spunk when I was a Scout," she mused to   
herself, voice carrying through the now-empty room, "then I think I   
would have driven the others crazy."  
Her slight, sad smile was quickly replaced with an out-and-out   
grin. "Then again, I would have been Serena," she chuckled, falling back  
onto the warm, soft surface of her bed. "But we all changed, a lot,   
during those two years. We grew, and learned... Matured, really... We   
were taught so many things about ourselves and about human nature that   
we couldn't escape nor turn our backs on our newfound knowledge..." She   
sighed in memory and tucked her arms behind her head, studying at the   
white ceiling as she recalled what her life as a Scout had been like.   
"And now, I'm a Mistress, and all I have to say is--"  
"Phoebe! I thought that you weren't going to nose around in here   
except on cleaning days!" scolded a rather boisterous female voice. Amy   
picked up her head to see a slim, shapely silhouette in the doorway,   
hands resting on slender hips as the woman spoke. "What have I told you   
about this?"  
Chuckling, the doctor picked herself up off the bed and smiled at   
the brown-eyed younger woman with the shining silver hair. "I still   
don't understand how you got your hands on immortality," she teased, her  
tone more playful than usual. "I mean, just because your brother and   
yourself were sent from the Silver Millennium..."  
"And I don't see how you got to be so rich and famous," came the   
quick, glib retort from Marie Urawa as she tossed her head indignantly   
and smiled cheerily at her sister-in-law. "After all, aren't the   
Guardians of the King and Queen supposed to STAY in Crystal Tokyo?"  
Amy just shrugged and started for the door, locking her gaze with   
the other woman's in a gesture that began nothing short of a staring   
contest. "It's amazing that you can put up living with my kid," she   
stated rather blandly, resting a hand on the doorframe. "She's not a   
neat-freak, you know."  
"Should have seen the place when I moved in," replied Marie,   
screwing her face into a rather grievous grimace as she spoke. "It was   
about the messiest thing I'd ever seen in my life."  
They both laughed, knowing the statement to be all too true.   
Silence filled the room as the two woman stared at each other, neither   
sure what to say. It was a rare occurrence that Amy came home, and it   
was even rarer that Marie and her were within close vicinity. They liked  
each other, of course, but the chances to meet were slim, if none.  
Then, with a smile, the doctor sniffed the air and winked a blue   
eye at the other woman before speaking.  
"How about we dig into Haley's dinner?"  
************  
  
"This thing's AWFUL!" groaned Sailor Aurora Borealis, collecting a  
good half of her skirt in her gloved hands and trying to wring it free   
of water without much avail. "It's spitting water, and it's COLD!"  
With a roll of her bright brown eyes, Sailor Polaris dove away   
from a long stream of the freezing liquid and sent an annoyed glare   
toward the other Scout. "You COULD help out, you know!" she returned,   
hopping from the ground to her feet and tossing her ponytail out of her   
face. "After all, it's just another monster!"  
Surveying the creature they were up against, the older of the two   
Scouts raised an eyebrow as she thought of the bland comment from her   
friend. The cretin of the day was a giant emu, standing a good fifteen   
feet tall, with a wing span of double that and the ability to fly. Blue-  
brown feathers, a strange color combination, glistened in the late   
afternoon sun, and bright--though terrifying--blue eyes glowered down at  
the group of nine Sailor Scouts.  
Aurora Borealis pushed some of her dripping, limp hair from her   
eyes. Yeah. JUST a monster.  
"Damn!" swore Sailor Comet suddenly as she, courtesy of a strong   
stream of water hitting her in the stomach, rammed right into the blue-  
braided Scout and sent them both sprawling backwards onto the wet, cool   
blacktop.   
Chibi-Star and Chibi-Pluto, who had been fighting side-by-side,   
sending one attack after another toward the big bird, met a similar fate  
as the emu-thing threw a beam of water and sent the two of them to join   
the pile.  
Attacks flew from the hands and lips of several of the still-  
standing Sailor Scouts, words mingling in the cool evening air as colors  
flashed and energy flew right toward the giant bird.  
It did no good, but none of the soldiers realized until it was a   
few seconds too late.  
The emu leapt into the air, using its giant wings to hold its   
large blue-brown body above the street. Attacks collided with one   
another beneath the bird's body, doing nothing more than nullifying each  
other's effects. A few of the young warriors cursed aloud, readying any   
and all other attacks that they knew how to send out.  
Too late it once again was, for the bird began to fly in a slow   
circle, spraying more water at the Scouts. The water, while not actually  
a fast enough stream to really injure any of the five standing Scouts,   
did knock them into the pile with the other four girls. Grunts and   
groans emitted from the heap of warriors, but it was no use. They were   
entangled to the point of no return.  
The bird let out a sound that sounded oddly like a chuckle and   
turned away from the strange stack of girls (and one little boy),   
shaking its feathery head.   
Trying desperately to get out of her position between Polaris and   
the Master of Time, Sailor Moon grunted and let her red eyes go wide as   
she watched the creature walk away. "SOMEBODY STOP THAT MONSTER!   
ANYONE!" she screamed, nearly deafening her fellow Scouts. "THERE'S A   
REWARD! SORT OF, ANYWAY!"  
Suddenly, there was a mighty bellow unlike any of the Sailor   
Scouts had ever heard in their separate lives:  
"Space Sword BLASTER!"  
The emu suddenly toppled onto its side, a glowing gold weapon   
plunged into its neck. Blood slowly seeped out of the wound, dropping   
onto the street. The Scouts all gaped at the strange weapon and then at   
the two women who stood, back-to-back, near the now paralyzed creature.  
Rose petals floated slowly through the air on a sudden breeze, and that   
same breeze ruffled the long gowns of the two women.   
"Lured by the threat of evil to my school," spoke the first,   
tossing her head of sandy blonde hair as she spoke, "I am the   
magnificent Mistress Uranus, acting gorgeous."  
Her companion smiled gently. "Also lured by that same threat," she  
stated in a stern, deep voice, "I am the magnificent Mistress Neptune,   
acting gracefully."  
Finally freeing herself of the Scout dog-pile, Sailor Moon slapped  
herself in the forehead, groaning. "They never change, do they?" she   
moaned, shaking her head in disbelief. "They're STILL 'invited by this'   
and 'lured by that' and 'enchanted by such-and-such'..."  
"Hey!" objected Uranus, pulling her sword from the emu-monster as   
the skirt of her navy-blue gown swirled around her legs. "We just saved   
your butt, and your thanks is mocking us?"  
"Well, we DON'T need your help," admitted Sailor Phoenix, having   
also pulled herself and two of the Chibi-Scouts from the mass of bodies.  
"We were perfectly fine by ourselves..."  
The blonde Mistress snorted, sheathing her sword before resting   
her hands on her hips. "Oh, REALLY?" she questioned in a doubtful,   
almost challenging tone. "Then explain the dog-pile, girlie!"  
Neptune rolled her blue eyes in the direction of her wife and   
started down the street. "Coming, dear?" she called, annoyance in her   
tone.  
"But...but..." stammered Uranus, still eager to hear a reasonable   
excuse from the Sailor Scout of the Sun for why the girls were in a   
giant heap. Glancing at her wife, whose retreat was seemingly becoming   
faster with every passing second, she wrinkled her nose and tossed the   
Space Sword back into null-space. "Wait up, Michi!" she yelled after the  
other woman, her tone one of a woman who had just been defeated. She   
turned to quickly glare at the other Sailor Scouts. "This isn't over,   
you know."  
"Yeah, SURE it's not," laughed Phoenix with a toss of her braids,   
watching as the tall and tomboyish Mistress started down the street   
after her partner.   
Sailor Moon drew her sword and started for the motionless monster.  
And Sailor Comet, in all her wisdom, shook her head sadly. "Thank   
GOD I'm adopted," she mumbled to herself in a reassuring voice. "Thank   
GOD."  
************  
  
"You're WHAT?" gaped the short blonde man, nearly dropping the   
stirring spoon into his pot of chili as he stared at the teen with the   
gold-brown hair. "You're STILL in love with her?"  
Scuffing his feet together, Eric nodded slightly and focused on   
anything that was not his brother--namely, he focused on the   
refrigerator and the Ten'ou family portrait and the calendar and the   
skylight and the doorframe and... Sighing, he rested his head in his   
hands and pursed his lips. "You make it sound like love is easy to get   
rid of, Brian," he commented miserably, staring at the green countertop   
that was the kitchen's island. "I don't know why I've been so horrible   
to her, but..."  
"Hindsight," put in Brian Hartford, pushing up his glasses with a   
chili-covered finger, "is worth its weight in gold, young man."   
Receiving only a confused glance in return for his wisdom, he chuckled   
and tossed a few pieces a chopped onion into the pot. "I just mean that  
you can look back at stupid things you've done and know they were   
stupid, but looking at them when you did them was totally different."  
His brother sighed once again and gazed at the older man, copper   
meeting copper as the two sets of eyes met. Neither spoke for a long   
moment, the uncertainty of Eric's situation causing a great, pressing   
silence.  
And then, the door burst open and a little boy rushed into the   
room, his mop of brown hair bouncing as he stopped in the middle of the   
kitchen and glanced straight at the blonde man. "Have you seen my dad?"   
he questioned.  
Brian shrugged. "I think he went out, Peter," he responded with a   
smile, still stirring his dinner as he did so. "But you should really   
check upstairs with your aunts to be sure..."  
"They're not here!" he retorted, grinning as he struck an odd pose  
and flipped his hair. "Because, 'Lured by the threat of evil' to their   
school, they are the magnificent Outer--MMFPH!"  
The adult nearly pounced on the boy, covering his mouth with one   
hand and pointing to Eric with the other. They exchanged quick, hushed   
words, none of which the younger Hartford brother could make out, and   
then Peter was on his way upstairs, mumbling something about people   
going when the Master of Time took over.  
"That boy watches too much anime," managed Brian quickly, his own   
excuse for the child's odd behavior sounding to be a question more than   
a statement. "He's so taken in by superheroes..."  
Rolling copper eyes, Eric rested his chin in a hand. "How do I   
deal with Haley?"  
His older brother shrugged and looked his sibling straight in the   
eyes, expression slightly sad. "Maybe you don't," sighed he, shaking his  
head a little and leaning on the island, staring at his brother. "Maybe   
you accept the loss of her and move on with your life."  
"Easier said," responded the younger man in a slightly mournful   
tone, "than felt."  
"Yeah, I know, but--"  
He was interrupted by the slamming of the front door and the roar   
of an angry female voice. "I could have HUNG that girl!" shot Alexandra,  
obviously in bad humor as she stomped into the kitchen, her aqua-headed   
wife right behind her. "First that STUPID little Reeny makes those   
comments, and then Phoenix is all: 'We're fine. We don't need your help.  
Never mind the Space Sword, Uranus. We'll be fine.'" She nodded to the   
boy at the kitchen's island as she grabbed an apple. "Hi Eric. Nice to   
see you." Turning back to Michelle, she clenched her fist around the   
apple and continued her rant. "She acts like we're not even Mistresses!  
She acts like we're helpless! She acts--"  
"How are you doing, Eric?" questioned the woman with the aqua-  
green hair, sitting down on a stool and completely ignoring her wife.   
"You seem upset."  
"Upset?" he asked, no longer staring at Alexandra in complete   
confusion. "Well, a little..." he admitted in a quiet voice, picking at   
a small piece of cellophane tape which was stuck to the countertop. "I   
was just thinking about some girl troubles, and decided to ask Brian for  
help..."   
Snorting, the blonde woman plopped onto the stool on his other   
side and laughed good-naturedly. "I wrote the book on girl troubles!"   
she exclaimed, leaning her elbows on the surface and forgetting her   
apple as she spoke. "What do you need to know? Wooing someone? Learning   
the ways of lamour?" She elbowed him in the side as though they were   
sharing a great secret.   
Michelle rolled her blue eyes as her wife grinned wolfishly at the  
young man, as though he was the catch of the day. "This from the woman   
who groaned when Todd Walker called for help with the Kino girl," sighed  
she, standing and starting for the stairs. "Well, I'll be getting ready   
for my orchestra rehearsal tonight, ALEX. You should be doing that,   
too."  
All color drained from the tall woman's face, and a single eyebrow  
began to twitch nervously. "That was tonight!" she exclaimed, hopping to  
her feet and tossing the ignored green apple back into the fruit bowl.   
"I've got to help teach all the new players the ropes! Stupid Tokyo   
Junior Orchestra..." Sighing, she began to trudge toward the stairway.  
"Wait! Miss Alex!" called Eric nervously, running a hand through   
his hair as the woman turned around and raised an eyebrow toward the   
teen. He gulped back the lump in his throat. "How do you rekindle lost   
love?" he asked softly, afraid to meet her green-eyed gaze.  
Smiling slightly, the blonde woman winked at him. "Just tell Haley  
you love her, of course," she retorted.  
He had every intention of asking her to elaborate, but by time   
he'd raised his head, she had already thundered up the stairs.   
************  
  
Her keycard slipped into the lock, and the light shone green.   
Emotionless, tired, and completely dead to the world, Alice Kino   
stumbled into the family apartment and managed to slam the door behind   
her, rubbing her back. "What a day," she grumbled, kicking off her shoes  
and thrusting her purse onto the little table right outside the door.   
"I swear that Lyra needs to cut down on the french-fries. Should really   
try a diet, that girl... Landed right on top of me and GOD did it   
hurt..." Slipping on her favorite pair of battered navy slippers, she   
stretched and started for the television. "And never mind the Home Ec   
project due Monday, I'm catching a movie on the tube if it--"  
"Excuse me?" questioned a timid voice from behind her, making her   
jump nearly a mile into the air. She whirled around in her seat on the   
couch, and her brown eyes widened noticeably. "Alice, can I talk to   
you?"  
Blue eyes implored her for attention. Dark brown bangs hung in   
those eyes, giving them a mysterious but irresistible look. A young man,  
tall and lean and extremely nice-looking, stood about ten feet behind   
the couch, hands shoved in his pockets as he stared at the young woman,  
wordless. Behind him, through the glass doors of the balcony, the sun   
was setting over Tokyo, like a backdrop from a movie. Reds, purples, and  
pinks swirled around, giving the dark apartment a beautiful, if surreal,  
quality.   
She stood, blinking a few times, and then set her amazed   
expression into a stern glare. In three quick steps, she'd overtaken the  
distance between the couch and the teen, her brown eyes full of hate   
and annoyance. "Yeah, well, I've been meaning to talk to you," she shot,  
raising a fist. Gaping, the young man gulped and stumbled back into the   
peach-painted wall, displaying a fear that she knew was there... A fear   
that she quite intended to use in her advantage. "I've been meaning to   
tell you to knock it off," she continued, her fist raised slightly as a   
challenge. "If I get ONE more gift, Todd--just ONE, mind you--then   
you'll get to meet my black-belt in karate up-close and personal."   
Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes, trying to think of what   
retort to make. He couldn't excuse it, he couldn't lie... He had to tell  
the truth. He had to say it. The nausea in his stomach was enough to   
make him want to crawl under a rock and die. Still...  
"Why don't you like me?" he asked shakily, opening his two cobalt   
eyes to stare straight at her. "Why won't you just go to prom with me?   
Alice, I--"  
With a blink of two brown orbs, she dropped her fist and, with it,  
her guard. "You have no idea what I've been through with my parents,"   
she said in a dry tone, turning away to gaze out at the indescribable   
sunset. "You don't know how much my father has hurt me..."  
Todd gulped and, stepping away from the wall, placed a shaking   
hand on her shoulder. "I'm not your father, Alice," he returned, turning  
her gently to meet her gaze. "I'm not like that..."  
"I know..." she managed, holding back the tears that were slowly   
welling up in her eyes. "I know that you're not... But I can't help but   
think..." She clenched her fists tightly in frustration. "I'm only so   
mean to you because I don't KNOW what to think!" she protested, trying   
desperately to stop her voice from wavering more than it already was. "I  
don't know if I should care or run... If I should tell you 'yes' or   
'no...'" She set her face in a determined glare, the tears in her eyes   
remaining behind their strong dams, not yet freed by her emotion. "And I  
don't know if I should feel this...for anyone..."  
Removing his hand from her shoulder, Todd took another deep breath  
and touched the side of her cheek gently. The mere two feet between them  
seemed to close as she smiled sweetly at him, the tears nearly freed,   
now. "Alice," he whispered softly, caressing her cheek with a finger,   
"I just want you to know that I love you..."  
The gap was closed, now, as she fell into his arms, letting him   
hold her to his chest. The dams, once so strong and indestructible,   
collapsed as she buried her head in his shoulder, crying in front of a   
stranger for the first time in her life.  
Time past. The light slowly seeped away, and the city became a   
glittering universe of lights, with a giant palace as its center point.   
The palace as its nucleus.  
Neither of the duo knew how long they had stood in that place on   
the carpeting, the auburn-headed teen crying endless tears into the   
shirt of the tall brunette, but finally, she picked up her head and   
stared at him. And all Todd did was smile.  
"I'm sorry," she sniffed, wiping the last remaining tears from her  
eyes. "I just didn't..."  
"Hush..." he whispered, placing a single finger on her lips before  
she could finish her frivolous apology. Then, seeing that she had no   
intention of speaking, he drew her closer, breath tickling her lips as   
their noses touched. "Will you PLEASE go to prom with me?"  
She gulped and leaned forward, pressing their lips together for   
but a brief second. "Yes..." she breathed, her eyelids suddenly heavy as  
she felt his breath even closer, and hotter than before. "Definitely."  
And their lips touched again and, suddenly, they were in a world   
all their own.  
************  
  
He took a deep, shaking breath, focusing on the darkened city of   
Tokyo as he paced the balcony of his bedroom, suddenly very, very   
afraid. Footfalls echoed on marble as he strode down to the far end of   
the little area and back, one hand in a pocket. His fingers gently   
touched the soft, silky velvet of the small black box in his pocket.   
Black box... Destiny... True love... Princess... Words echoed in his   
head, words he didn't want to forget... Words he was just the slightest   
bit frightened of...  
He chuckled at his own antics, leaning against the cool wall of   
Crystal Palace as azure eyes gazed out at the beautiful city of light   
before him. Why was it so scary? She and he had been together for...   
Well, not for years, really, because he'd been in Elysion and she on   
Earth, but the two worlds did collide... He had promised... He took out   
the box and glanced at it as it sat in the palm of his hand, a symbol,   
to him, of the unsure feature.  
"Reeny, will you..." He shook his head quickly, running his free   
hand through his shaggy silver-white mane of hair. "No, that won't   
do..." he grumbled, biting his lower lip in thought as he opened the box  
and stared down at the beautiful, flawless diamond and the smooth, cool  
golden band around it. "Hmmm... Reeny, would you do me the pleasure of   
becoming my... No, that's not right..." Pulling the ring from its little  
container, he slipped it onto his little finger, surprised to find it   
was just large enough to slide past the second knuckle and sit in the   
proper place. "Would you please... No... Reeny, I love you and... Not   
quite... My Princess and love, Small Lady Serenity..."  
"Helios?" called a soft female voice, and he jumped, shoving the   
ring back in the box and stowing it in his pocket. His heart pounded in   
his ears as he cleared his throat and leaned up against the railing of   
the balcony. Now, or never.  
"Out here!" he responded, trying earnestly to sound completely   
calm. The truth was that, in all his years, he had never been so   
nervous. There had been battles, and risks, and a seeming eternity of   
waiting for the pink-haired angel to be his own, but now--as the box   
weighted his pocket down ominously and his heart thumped so loudly that   
he swore that the echoes could be heard in Kyoto--he wasn't so sure. In   
fact, he wasn't sure of ANYTHING.   
Except that he loved her. And she loved him.  
Dressed only in her nightgown, which was long and pink and frilly,  
the Princess of the Earth strode out onto the balcony, her bare feet   
slapping against the marble rather loudly as she did so. Her buns had   
been undone, spinning a web of wavy pink hair around her body, from head  
to near the back of her calves. Helios drew in a sharp, almost painful   
breath as he gazed at her lean, beautiful body and then into her deep,   
passionate cinnamon eyes. With one hand he clutched the railing, still,   
trying to restrain himself from turning tail to run.  
"You alright?" questioned the young woman, taking a wary step   
toward her Prince as she noticed the uncertainty in his fathomless blue-  
eyed stare. "Something is different about you, Helios..."  
Wordlessly, the young man took a shaky step toward the Princess   
and dropped carefully to one knee, taking her hands in his and staring   
at the marble surface beneath him. "My Maiden and Princess," he   
breathed, looking up just long enough to brush his lips across the soft,  
sweet skin of his love, "I will forever serve you."  
Reeny gasped in surprise and awe, but was unable to take her hands  
away from the man. Instead, she swallowed the lump in her throat and   
managed to keep her voice steady. "Excuse me?" she questioned.  
Gazing up at her, staring at the impossibly beautiful eyes that he  
had loved for years, he smiled slightly and touched her hands to his   
cheek. "Dear Maiden," he managed, tone wavering and shaking as much as   
he knew his hands were, "you are my sound mind, body, and soul. You are   
all I hold dear, all I protect..." His smile grew as the confused   
expression on her face melted away into complete and total adoration.   
"From the day I met you, hiding within your pure and beautiful dreams...  
From the day you saved Elysion..." Reaching into his pocket, he clenched  
a fist around the small, soft box and let all his worries melt away into  
one large, loving grin. "I have forever loved you, Princess, and that   
is why I give you this..."  
She held back a startled gasp as the ring box was opened before   
her, but the young woman could not control the slow blush that crept   
across her face. Carefully, her Prince removed the ring from its space   
in the velvet and slid it on her ring finger, gently kissing her hand as  
he did so. Then, his expression lost all joviality as he gazed up at   
her.  
"The Princess of the Moon and Earth, Serenity of the Gold Moon   
Kingdom," he breathed, voice little more than whisper to the wind as his  
ocean-colored eyes gazed at her, "I love you. More than life, more than   
sweet Elysion, and more that any words can say. Will you, my Princess,   
become my wife?"  
Unmoving, silent, the young woman stared down at her finger, her   
hands trembling as she examined the ring. Her expression was impassive   
even as a single tear traced its way down her cheek and fell to the   
ground.  
Then, she crumpled to her knees and wrapped her arms around  
Helios' waist, burying her face in his soft, silvery tunic and setting   
free a million tears at once. "Yes!" she cried in an elated tone,   
picking up her head just long enough to cover his cheeks, lips, and   
forehead in butterfly kisses. "Yes forever! Yes until eternity! YES!"  
Her yelp echoed across the balcony and the courtyard below them,   
and the couple smiled knowingly at one another. Then, wiping away a tear  
with the side of her hand, the pink-haired Princess wrapped her arms   
around the neck of her destined Prince and single true love. "From now   
and forever..."  
"My Maiden... My love..."  
And, just as their lips were about to meet, a blonde woman peeked   
her head out from around the corner of the door, glaring down at the   
embracing couple. "Good evening, you two lovebirds," chuckled Lisa in   
her normal laid-back lilt. "I just wanted to stop by and say that   
Ambriel is down, in bed, and that I'm turning in..." She winked a blue   
eye at the two. "And it's a good thing that I decided to go to bed,   
too... Looks like you two would like your privacy..."  
Both blushed.   
"Well, goodnight," she called, waving her goodbye. "I hope you two  
have a nice night..." She laughed at her own innuendo and strode away.   
In a moment, the lights within the bedroom were off, bathing the entire   
area, balcony included, in the sweet silence of night.  
And Helios smiled. "Where were we, my love?"  
She smiled back at him and drew her lips to his.  
************  
  
RING!  
Her eyelids slowly fluttered open and managed to glance at the   
bright, fluorescent orange numbers of the alarm clock.  
Midnight.   
Sitting up groggily, the young woman rubbed the sleep from her   
bloodshot brown eyes and she groped for the knob on her bedside lamp.  
RING!  
The light bit her eyes, but she ignored the pain and managed to   
grasp the receiver and bring it up to her face. She could feel a strong   
mix between exhaustion and outright annoyance battle within her mind as   
she cleared her throat.  
"Hello?"  
There was a chipper laugh at the other end of the line. "How's my   
little girl?" questioned a high soprano voice through the phone, causing  
the blonde girl to lower her tired eyes into a glare almost immediately   
upon hearing it. Only one woman in the world had that exact tone. Only   
one...  
"Mother!" spat Lyra, suddenly full energy as she straightened her   
spine, glaring at the wall as though the adult was standing right before  
her. "Do you know what time it is?" There was no response, but a slight   
bit of laughter sounded from the other end. "I'll tell you, Ma, that   
it's midnight and that I'm tired!" She clenched her hands into fists and  
pounded her pillow angrily. "What do you want?"  
She could practically see the woman shrug and toss her hands into   
the air. "I miss you," responded Mina, not at all phased by the quick   
shots that could have easily hurt the feelings of any other mother on   
the planet. "You never come to dinner, and I'm sure that you mean to--"  
Her daughter made a face. "Yeah right!" she retorted in a deep,   
biting tone. "You're just completely convinced that me and Richard are   
up to no good!"  
"I know that you're not," lied the adult smoothly from the other   
end, her voice hardly changed in either pitch or tone. "I just think   
that you should finish playing this silly little game of being a   
supposed grown-up and come home, so that I don't have to worry..."  
"It IS about that!" screamed the teen, her voice echoing through   
the room as she felt her eyes well up with tears. Already, her heart was  
pounding and the adrenaline was pumping through her veins without   
relent. A challenge, it was. And a challenge, she took it to be. "Well,   
MOTHER, let me say this--NOTHING HAS HAPPENED!" She could feel the cold   
hand of doubt, her doubt about her own abilities of being on her own,   
touch the back of her neck. And she could feel the trust and love   
between herself and her mother slip slowly away, a little bit escaping   
with every second that the phone connection remained open. "I'm sorry   
that you don't love me enough to trust me! And I'm sorry that you don't   
understand how much I care about Richard, or what destiny means to me!   
And I'm sorry--"  
"What do YOU know?" challenged her mother from the other end of the   
phone line, her once happy voice now marred with hate, anger, fear, and   
disappointment. "I know that you two are just hormone-driven teenagers   
who can't even begin to think before you do something stup--"  
Hand shaking, Lyra placed the receiver back into its cradle. She   
was silent for a long moment, her breath coming and going in ragged   
pants as she held back her strong need to cry. Then, with one frantic   
gulp, she buried her head in her hands and burst out crying.  
And suddenly, there was a warm arm around her shoulder, and she   
felt herself being pulled against a warm, soft body. Her sobs softened   
slightly as the savior rocked her back and forth slowly, rubbing her   
back gently. "Star..." whispered a low, sweet, masculine voice.   
"Star... Shhh..."  
She leaned against the young man, hands clawing her own sheets as  
though she was in excruciating pain. "She... She hates us..." managed   
Lyra between wracking sobs. "She doesn't care... Doesn't care that I   
love you... Doesn't care that you love me..."  
"Don't talk," Richard breathed, holding her tightly against his   
chest and rocking her small body as though she were a small child.   
"Don't talk at all..."  
They sat in silence, her lithe form wrapped in his strong arms as   
she wept into his warm, bare chest and let out all her woes as she sat   
in his embrace. Then, gradually, her sobs subsided into whimpers, and   
the whimpers were hushed by her raising her face and staring up into two  
large, cobalt eyes. "I don't think I can love her, anymore," she sighed   
as she rubbed her eyes and leaned further against him, breathing in the  
mix of roses and sweat, a scent unique to her boyfriend. "If she can't   
let us be together..."  
"You'll always love your mother, Star," he responded, laying a   
kiss atop her head of curly hair and still rubbing her back consolingly.  
"No one can ever take that away from you..."  
"But doesn't she understand that you and I love each other?"   
questioned the girl uncertainly, still gazing into his eyes. "I cannot   
love someone who can't love you..."  
He swept his arms around her and lowered his face to hers, their   
lips touching and pressing tenderly together for a long moment. Then,   
the young man pulled away from his one true love only to find her brown,  
slightly bloodshot eyes staring straight at him and absolutely   
twinkling. He smiled slightly. "Lyra, what do YOU want?" he asked,   
pushing a strand of loose, curly hair from her eyes. "Deep down, despite  
your mother, what do you want?"  
She pursed her lips for a very long moment, focusing on her hands   
rather than on his face. "I know what I want," she said finally,   
breaking the silence with her soft voice as she glanced up at him,   
wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her chin on his. "I want   
to be with YOU, Richard, whether my mother likes it or not."  
"Then, that's your answer," replied Richard, bringing his face   
down so he could once again taste her soft, sweet lips. Then, pulling   
away, he smiled a devious smile and reached over, flipping off the   
bedside lamp.  
************  
  
CRASH!  
SLAM!  
"EEEK!"  
She felt her face turn bright red as she pushed herself into a   
sitting position, gasping for breath. But her gasping was not for   
breath, as the figures in the doorway quickly realized, and the crimson-  
faced young man also sat up, running a hand through his rumpled hair.  
With a slight smile, Ken slurped the last of his soda from the   
paper cup and placed it on the little table near the doorway. "Nice to   
see you again, Todd," he called to the embarrassed boy before starting   
into the kitchen. "If you need a snack, I've got a lot of candy in the   
fridge..."  
The young brunette just blushed further and focused on his sock-  
covered feet.  
Meanwhile, Lita had recovered from her less-than-ceremonial   
entrance into the apartment as best she could be scooping up the dropped  
paper bag and placing it beside her soul-mate's empty cup of pop. "How   
did he get here?" questioned the nervous mother, looking over her   
blushing daughter only to see a rumpled school uniform, and messy auburn  
hair. "Wait, no, I can guess... KEN!"  
A tall man poked his out around the corner of the kitchen, mouth   
presumably full of candies. "Yep?"  
"Never mind," sighed the brunette woman, rolling her bright green   
eyes in the direction of her best friend and turning back to the guilty-  
looking couple on the couch. "Well, I think that this will start with   
you two saying your good-byes until tomorrow or Monday..."  
Quickly nodding, Todd hopped to his feet and scrambled for the   
door, kicking on his sneakers and waving to the girl on the sofa. She   
smiled and waved back timidly, chestnut eyes not escaping the stern   
glare of her mother.  
And then, the door shut, and the family was alone.  
"Now, Alice, I would like to ask--"  
"Come on, Leets, don't be too hard on the girl," stressed the man,  
plopping down in a plush chair with one leg draped over the arm. "You   
can't blame her for giving into her feminine wilds." He took a long swig  
of his milk, ignoring--or perhaps not noticing--that his daughter was   
flushing an even deeper shade of red at the reference. "Besides, this   
proves your theory wrong--she's not gay."  
Alice's eyes, which were focused on the ground, snapped up to meet  
her mother's face. All the red drained from her cheeks, with all other   
color quickly following. She swallowed, hard, and then reacted the only   
way she could.  
"You thought I was GAY?"  
Lita felt her ears start to burn.  
************  
  
"I don't BELIEVE this!" announced Tina as she strode down the   
hallway with the large, brown-feathered bird close behind her. "We   
wasted nearly eight hours of our flying over Crystal Tokyo, and all I   
managed to get was saddle-sore!" She stomped a foot and tossed her now-  
messy black hair. "I cannot WAIT to get out of this dress and into my   
pajamas!"  
With a slight smile, the bird ducked his head to avoid hitting a   
hanging light and shrugged his shoulders. "It's sometimes hard to find   
what you're looking for," he commented reassuringly. "After all, if   
finding a single person in Tokyo is like looking for a needle in a   
haystack, finding a crystal that can disappear..."  
She nodded in agreement. "...is even harder to do," she finished  
for her pet as she punched an open button and walked through the door.   
"Well, we'll cut through the throne room, get you to the stables, and   
worry about the crystal again tomorrow..."  
"And pray that Ginnie doesn't find out about the murdered   
monster," sighed Norton, ducking through the door as he spoke. "She   
could be mad..."  
They slowly crept across the large throne room in silence, neither  
wanted to really think of how mad their Queen would be. After all, she   
had both impossibly strong powers and a very, VERY bad temper. Crossing   
her was certain death...  
Then, they both froze in mid-step staring at the sight before   
them. Sitting on the floor, wrapped in a thick black quilt and   
surrounded by either empty or half-full bowls of various snack foods sat  
Evil Queen Ginnie. And in front of her was a big screen TV--playing   
anime?--that her eyes were completely riveted to.  
Clearing her throat, Tina glanced down at her Queen, smoothing her  
long ebony gown as she did so. Ginnie glanced up, hitting the pause   
button on her remote control. "Uh... My Queen, I'm back from my   
quest..."  
"Carry on, then," spoke the brunette woman, waving a hand at her  
minion. "I don't have all night to chit-chat..."  
"But, Ginnie--"  
She held up a hand, silencing her companion. "I'll talk to you   
tomorrow, Tina. Good night." She hit the play button and turned back to   
her TV.   
Norton glanced down at the confused, annoyed Tina and, using his   
beak, grabbed her by the shirtsleeve and practically dragged her across  
the throne room. Finally, once they had made it to the opposite door,   
he let go and sighed. "Let her be," he suggested with a slight shake of   
his head, "and maybe we'll live through all this, alright?"  
She sighed and punched the button with her fist, hardly waiting   
for the door to slide open before she trudged through. "I don't BELIEVE   
her!" she shot, her voice echoing through the empty hall. "She's sitting  
there, watching Neon Genesis Evangelion and ignoring her queenly   
duties!"  
He raised an eyebrow. "What's a Neo... Neo Geisha... Evangeline?"   
he questioned, bewildered.  
Rolling her brown eyes, Tina shook her head. "Never mind..."  
************  
  
"Have you been up all night?"  
The young woman turned slowly to face the door to the bathroom.   
Standing in that doorway was another teen, her wavy hair falling around   
her face and down her shoulders, a concerned expression on her delicate   
features. Her pajamas, which were a pair of burgundy sweatpants and a   
too-big yellow T-shirt, were dreadfully wrinkled, and her eyes were   
tired.   
Still, the visitor did not relent as she crossed the room to sit   
on the edge of the bed beside her friend. "Is something honestly wrong,   
Haley?" she asked softly, brushing a strand of her messy navy hair from   
her eyes. "Because you know that you can tell me, or Marie, or even the   
cats..."  
"I'm fine, Phoebe," replied the young brunette woman, not meeting   
the worried gaze upon her friend's face. "I just... Well, it's the fifth  
of April, now, right?"  
Glancing at the wall clock, the blue-haired teen nodded. "It's   
nearly two a.m.," she stated, "which would make it the fifth."  
"Well, I had to...do something...by the fourth, and I forgot,"   
smiled Haley, her teal eyes gazing up at the ceiling with some amount of  
guilt. "And I know that, if my moms found out, I'll be dead meat..." She  
wiped a single tear away. "And I meant to do it, but I didn't, and..."  
Phoebe folded her hands in her lap, staring at the older teen. She  
had rarely seen the smart, happy-go-lucky teen so very upset, but then   
again, that sort of thing happened to everyone once in a while. Even to   
her friend, obviously.  
She pursed her lips as the brunette trailed off, trying to think   
of what she could say. And then, she smiled. "Do the thing now," she   
suggested with a slight smile. "That way, you won't feel guilty, and   
your moms can't get made at you for NEVER doing it..."  
Grinning, Haley nodded quickly. "And then, I won't get in or leave  
Tokyo!" Catching the confused glance from her friend, she shook her   
head. "Sorry... Never mind..."  
Her companion stood, nodding, the concerned expression really not   
leaving her face as she crossed back to their shared bathroom. "Well, if  
you say so..." she shrugged. "Good night, Haley."  
"Good night."  
************  
  
The next day, after sleeping on the entirety of her mother's   
story, Alice Kino had but one question.  
"You thought I was GAY?"  
Choking on her breakfast of cereal and toast, the tall brunette   
woman glanced across the kitchen to her pajama-clad daughter, who had   
just woken up. She sighed miserably, gulped down half a glass of milk,   
and then watched the teen as she began to break eggs into a bowl for   
omelets. "I didn't know what to think, you know," shrugged Lita as she   
stirred her dry cereal in the bowl. "I just didn't know any better,   
either..."  
The auburn-haired daughter chuckled, putting the eggs back into   
the refrigerator and pulling out cheese, milk, and other breakfast-  
making supplies. "I don't believe I came across as a lesbian," she   
returned, pulling out an eggbeater. "And to think that you supposed   
Phoebe and I were a COUPLE..."  
"Oh, she was convinced," put in a masculine voice as Ken strode   
into the room, wearing his favorite khakis and a polo shirt. "Thoroughly  
convinced. And it was funny, too..."  
His best friend rolled her green eyes. "Don't you ever knock?"  
"I have a key," he retorted, laying a gentle kiss on her   
ponytailed head before pulling a box of chocolates from one of the   
cabinets. "Now, anyone for some toffee? It's the breakfast of champions,  
you know..."  
"And it's MY candy!" scolded his daughter, snatching away the box   
and pointing the dripping eggbeater straight at his chest. "If you don't  
want a kitchen utensil up your NOSE, you'd best stay away. OTHERWISE..."  
She wiggled the beater before turning to plunge it back into the eggs.  
Laughing, the woman at the table winked at the man. "Just pray she  
doesn't ask about the Mint Meltaways..."  
Not hearing the comment, Alice poured her egg mixture into a pan   
and sighed. "I just don't understand it," she commented, watching as the  
egg on the edges bubbled slightly once it made contact with the hot pan.  
"How could you think I was gay? Because I hang out with Phoebe? Because   
I take a class on homosexuality? Because I didn't want to go to prom?"  
"Because you didn't tell me about your fear of love," responded   
Lita, standing and walking to her child. "You never want to get close to  
me, not even for a moment, and I was afraid to ask you what was going   
on..." She sighed and wrapped an arm around her child. "I know that,   
when you were little, you never saw a lot of me. I had a business to   
run, and I ran it, but it was at a cost." She could feel the girl's   
muscles tense and haw the two brown eyes gaze guiltily at the   
countertop. "But, Alice, I'm here right now, and I will be here. As much  
as you need me." Turning the girl, her daughter, to stare straight into   
her eyes, she smiled. "Don't fear. Tell me, next time."  
Nodding, Alice wrapped her arms around her mother's waist and   
hugged her close. Ken applauded from his spot across the room,   
receiving a rather angry glare in return. He shrugged and kept clapping.  
And then, suddenly, there was a downright awful smell. In fact, it  
was the exact smell of burning...  
"My eggs!" cried the teen, pulling away from her mother and   
frantically trying to salvage her omelet. "I must've turned the heat on   
too high! Eek!"  
Lita laughed and began to help her child with the task of making   
breakfast.  
"Once a Kino," drawled the man, reaching across the counter to   
seize the box of stolen candy, "always a Kino." Then, Ken furrowed his   
brow at his own comment. "Or something like that..."  
************  
  
"It's eleven in the morning, and we've been out here since SIX!"   
lamented she, adjusting her seat on the giant bird's back as they soared  
through the air just above the clouds. Below, Crystal Tokyo was a   
metropolitan bustle of activity, as always, with its many residents out   
doing whatever they did on overcast Sunday mornings. Sighing, she   
wrinkled her nose. Too much work. That was the only phrase that   
described her search for the crystal. Too much trouble, and work... And,  
according to Ginnie's code, she had to 'keep up appearances' by wearing   
a dress in public. Some code. Separation of the sexes, it was. Wasn't   
there a law or two against sexual inequality in the workplace? Was an   
evil lair a workplace? She growled to herself and tightened her grip on   
the reigns. "Go back to the northeast district and we can do another   
sweep."  
"Righto," agreed Norton quickly, turning to glance at his master   
as he turned in midair. Then, he cocked his head to one side. "Something  
wrong, Tina?" he asked, concerned.  
She shook her head quickly, adjusting her sidesaddle position and   
smiling slightly. "I was just thinking about how much I hate this job,"   
she returned with a shrug. "It's so much work to put in, just to find a   
crystal."  
"Yes, well, when you're co-Queen of the Earth and then, the   
Universe," grinned the emu, turning back to the cloudscape before them,   
"you won't have to worry. Because you'll rule it ALL, Tina. All of it...  
Well, Ginnie, too..."  
"I suppose you're right," she admitted with a sigh, fishing in her  
null-space pocket for something. "But I can't help but think that we're   
good and doomed. Especially with the Galactic Sailors and the Chibi-  
Scouts around."  
He shrugged his wings noncommittally. "Well, they've had trouble   
before," he replied. "You and I both watched the last battle from above.  
A Scout dog-pile is hardly a good battle strategy..."  
She nodded at his comment, pulling a small blue crystal from null-  
space and gazing down at it. "Well, maybe this will help," she grinned,   
tossing the little marble down through the clouds and watching it as it   
disappeared from sight. "This way, we can pester the rest of Japan in   
searching for the Crystal of Illusion, and the Scouts and be pestered by  
a monster."  
"It's not really going to stop them, you know," sighed Norton. "It  
never has before."  
Laughing, Tina patted his neck. "It doesn't have to STOP them,"   
she retorted, grinning. "It just has to distract them. Now, let's go!"  
He smiled. "Alrighty, then..."  
************  
  
"Now we must answer the age-old question that has plagued those   
such as us for generations: when do we announce this engagement?"   
The question caught the pink-haired one off-guard, and she nearly   
dropped her hairbrush. Turning to the young man, who was straightening   
his silvery tunic, she raised her eyebrows questioningly. "Excuse me?"  
Smiling gently, Helios set himself down in a small armchair and   
sighed. "When will we tell the Galactic Sailors and the Mistresses about  
our engagement, dear one?" he asked, watching as she turned her face   
back to the mirror and slowly brushed the tangles from her long, flowing  
hair. "I'm sure that you're nearly bursting..."  
"I'm not," she replied, placing her brush on the vanity and began   
to pull her hair into its familiar style. "I mean, I'm happy, but I was   
thinking about the enemy, and I think that they have to be our focus."   
She turned her red eyes to glance at him, her hands holding up half her   
hair in a cone-shaped bun. She expected him to be disappointed, possibly  
angry... But there was none of that in his expression. He looked   
almost...relieved... "Helios?"  
He nodded in response to her comment, his pursed lips curving into  
another sweet smile. "I was thinking the exact same thing this morning   
when I saw Ambriel in the hall," he responded rather pleasantly, playing  
with one of her long ponytails as she finished her hairstyle. "We can't   
worry about us, can we?"  
"I wish we had that sort of liberty," Reeny sighed, turning to   
face her fiancé, "but we don't. We have a planet to protect."  
"Exactly," agreed Helios, his blue-eyed gaze sweet but extremely   
intense. "The world, then us."  
Nodding, she took his hands in hers, a smile creeping across her   
face. "And I can't wait until it's finally us," she murmured, slowly   
closing her eyes and leaning in for a kiss.  
"I'd have to agree..."  
"PRINCESS!" hollered a voice from the hall, and the door burst   
open as both the blonde handmaiden Lisa and Ambriel--no, Angel Moon--  
thundered into the room. "There's a monster in Courtyard!" exclaimed   
Lisa, panting from her race to the room. "The Galactic Sailors have been  
called to action, but it could be a while until they get here and...   
And..." She blinked her blue eyes and stared at the couple, noticing for  
the first time that they were sitting nose-to-nose, their fingers laced   
together. "Am I interrupting?"  
Reeny took a long moment to let her annoyance of being walked--or   
ran, as the case was--in on before standing and tossing a ponytail   
behind her shoulders. "Nothing is more important than defeating the   
enemy," she stated, but her shaky tone told a different story for a   
moment. Then, taking in a deep breath, she picked her locket up from   
off the vanity and thrust it into the air. "Moon Galactic Power... Make   
UP!"  
The handmaiden watched as her Princess initiated her   
transformation sequence, a confused expression across her face. "She   
sure is acting funny..." she commented warily, glancing down at the   
redheaded Angel Moon, who nodded in agreement. "Ummm... Helios... You   
two didn't break up, did you?" she questioned nervously, pressing her   
lips together.  
He made a face. "Of course not!" he retorted quickly, his face   
blanching. "Whatever gave you THAT idea?"  
Suddenly, there stood Neo-Sailor Moon, in all her fuku-wearing,   
saber-toting glory. "We have a battle to win!" she announced, footfalls   
echoing on the marble as she charged out into the hallway. "Sailor   
Scouts HO!"  
Smiling, Angel Moon flapped her wings and started after her at a   
much more reasonable pace. "Come on, Helios-papa," she called. "She'll   
be mad if you don't come..."  
He sighed, thinking to himself that maybe love WAS more important   
than the enemy, and started off behind her.  
************  
  
"Stupid monster!" roared Sailor Chibi-Star, watching as the emu-  
creature held up a wing and deflected the attack without any real   
effort. "It's like a bad dream!"  
Sailor Phoenix just nodded at the girl, sitting in one of the many  
large oak trees that were scattered about the Courtyard of Serenity,   
typing furiously on the small Mercury computer. Beside her, sharing the   
bough, was a VERY tired Sailor Comet, trying desperately to describe the  
physical and magical attributes of the monster so that her companion   
could enter data into the computer. Below her were all four Chibi-  
Scouts, a Starlit Prince and a Priest of Elysion, and two other Scouts.   
Left missing was Sailor Earth (not a shocking revelation) and Sailor   
Aurora Borealis. Comet sighed and hopped out of the tree.  
"I'm fighting!" she called up to her fellow warrior, stretching   
her exhausted limbs as she spoke. "Good luck with the data!"  
The braid-headed one just nodded numbly.   
"Starlight Streak!" screamed Sailor Polaris, her voice echoing   
through the green, grassy area as her silvery bolts of power shot   
through the air and toward the bird. The creature countered with a   
bright stream of sparkling blue electricity, and the two attacks   
exploded in midair, sending the curly-haired Scout and her Prince both   
flying backwards to land in the large white fountain nearby. The Pluto   
twins tried their luck against the monster, but the deadly power of the  
two attacks combined seemed to bounce off the feathers of the creature   
and shoot right back. The Chibi-Scouts all screamed and dove out of the   
way. Even Sailor Comet's attack disintegrated when it got too near the   
monster.  
No one moved for a long moment as the monster stood in the center  
of the Sailor Scout circle, glaring at the young warriors one by one.   
There was silence; neither friend nor foe called the bluff as they all   
stood in deadlock.   
Then, Sailor Phoenix snapped her computer shut and smiled, hopping  
out of the tree. "It has no weaknesses to magic!" she called out, all   
the faces of her friends turning to her. "We need a distraction so that   
Sailor Moon can get in there and use her sword like a REAL sword!" The   
monster roared and shot lightning into the air, causing all ten present   
people to grimace in fear. The blue-haired Scout wrinkled her nose. "And  
SOON would be nice!"  
There were no volunteers.  
"Wait!" called out a voice suddenly, and everyone turned to see   
Sailor Aurora Borealis standing beside the sopping wet Starlit Prince   
and Sailor Polaris. She smiled and stepped away from the fountain, not   
shying away as all eyes were on her. "I'll do it! I'll distract the   
monster!"  
Grimacing, Sailor Phoenix pulled her computer out and began typing  
quickly. "Then again, there might be a better way..."  
With a chuckle aimed at her friend's antics, Aurora Borealis shook  
her head and paced over to the other Scout, gently pushing the computer   
shut. "Someone has to do it, Pheebs," she stated softly, smiling at the   
nervous Scout. "Might as well be me..."  
"You don't GET it," protested Phoenix, eyeing the monster as it   
continued to scorch a bit of the beautiful white-marble palace with its   
foul magic. "It will NOT die in one strike. It will need two. And you   
won't be able to counter the monster twice..."  
Gulping, the auburn-haired teen forced a pleasant smile and raised  
her eyebrows, trying to hold back her fear. "Well, then..."  
"Of course, there IS a way to have two people strike," spoke up   
the Starlit Prince, pulling off his top hat and mask. "I'm the Prince of  
the Silver Star, and--"  
"Princes have swords!" grinned the blue-haired one gleefully. "Do   
your stuff, Rich! And Moon--get ready!"  
As a bright flash of silver enveloped the Starlit Prince, Sailor  
Moon unsheathed her sword, its silvery blade glittering in the light   
from the blue lightning. Aurora Borealis swallowed and clenched her   
fists, ready to dash in and send a Rainbow Wave flying toward the   
creature. Of course, if either of the sword-wielding soldiers missed,   
that meant... She didn't let herself think of that...  
Richard, the Prince of the Silver Star Kingdom, stepped out of his  
silver light and drew his long, wide-bladed sword. All three of the   
warriors glanced at one another, and they nodded.   
Aurora Borealis rushed toward the emu, raising a hand.   
"Rainbow..."  
The emu roared and turned around, ready to send an attack at her.  
Sailor Moon raised her sword and ran toward the monster, and it   
didn't notice the incoming attack.  
The Prince did the same, rushing at the bird. He did not go   
unnoticed, however.  
The bird turned a scant millimeter.  
"WAVE!"  
There was a flash of brilliant colored light.  
A roar sounded as one sword plunged into the side of the bird,   
slicing through feathers and into flesh.  
The creature turned to counter the attack, but managed to push   
Richard away with a wing. The young man gulped and screamed as he   
stumbled backward.  
Aurora's rainbow blew up in midair, but the lightning kept   
streaming toward her...  
And then, out of nowhere, a sword seemed to fall out of the sky   
and into the back of the monster. Sailor Aurora Borealis dove out of the  
way, and the electricity hit only dirt. Richard gasped for breath.   
Sailor Moon watched as the bird reverted into a tiny marble-shaped   
object.  
From the high-above balcony, a blonde woman beamed. "Space Sword   
Blaster?" she questioned, reaching a hand into the air. The sword, which  
had fallen to the ground, levitated and rose right into her fist. She   
winked and disappeared.  
"Maybe," mumbled Sailor Phoenix with a sigh, "I was wrong about   
the Mistresses."  
************  
  
"You two are sure acting strange," commented Phoebe with a smile   
as the Galactic Sailors, the Starlit Prince, Helios, and the Chibi-  
Scouts sat down to a formal lunch at Crystal Palace--their unofficial   
'reward' for killing the monster without leveling either the Palace or   
the Courtyard of Serenity. "Is everything alright?"  
The Princess of the Earth, who was clasping sitting with her hands  
nervously folded on the tabletop and refusing to meet her boyfriend's   
gaze, cocked her head at the navy-haired teen. "Wrong?" she asked, a   
confused expression crossing her face. "How could something be wrong?"  
From her seat at the other end of the long, wide table, the wavy-  
haired brunette shrugged and sipped her water. "It's just kind of funny   
that you and Helios are being so quiet," put in Haley casually, leaning   
back in the wooden chair. "You're ALWAYS flirting..."  
"Did you break up?" questioned Alice cautiously as she looked up   
from the short 'menu' that the Queen of the Earth had thrown together   
after the palace was saved.  
"NO!" exclaimed the young lovers in unison before they both   
glanced at each other and blushed.  
Yawning, Celeste rested her hands behind her head and glanced at   
her older sister. "And what about you and Richard?" she asked of the   
curly-haired blonde, eyeing the duo across the table. "What's up with   
you guys?"  
The blonde teen had long ago pulled her chair right next her   
boyfriend's and rested her head on his shoulder. They were holding hands  
and those aforementioned hands were proudly displayed atop the long   
mahogany table. She raised an eyebrow at her sister's question, but   
didn't move from her comfortable spot. "What do you mean?"  
"You're awful comfy," smiled Ambriel, a grin just short of devious  
crossing her face. "You're never this cuddly in front of us."  
Alice smiled as well. "Did you two get lucky?"  
Springing apart, the couple both blushed crimson and adverted eye   
contact. "WE DID NOT GET LUCKY!" they chorused.  
"What does that phrase mean?" asked the green-haired Aeris,   
leaning toward her brother. "Is that a term for sharing a kiss?"  
The boy gulped and blanched. "Something like that..." he mumbled.  
Snickering, Reeny cocked her head to one side and rested her cheek  
in her hand. "You sure you're not basking in any afterglow, dears?" she   
asked with a little wiggle of her eyebrows. "You certainly seem to be on  
cloud nine."  
The shared blush deepened.  
"I think that someone's hiding something," chortled the blue-  
braided girl in a singsong. "Don't make us weasel it out of you next   
week, Lyra..."  
"Nothing happened!" protested the blonde, focusing on the   
tabletop. "We're just...in a good... Uhh... A good mood! That's all, I   
swear! A good mood!"  
The laughing, teasing, and denying continued, their voices echoing  
down the hallway. And, as she strode down the hall with her head buried   
in a thick finance report, Neo-Queen Serenity sighed. The sweet curve   
of a smile touched her lips as she closed the packet of papers. "Ah,"   
she cooed wistfully, "what I wouldn't give to be a kid again..."  
************  
  
"Where have you been?!" scolded the woman, her hands resting on   
her hips as she glared daggers at the blonde who had just waltzed in the  
door. "We were supposed to be at the school for a staff meeting an HOUR   
ago!" Crossing her arms under her chest, Michelle lowered her vividly   
blue eyes further. "Well? Do you have an excuse or do you WANT to spend   
a night on the couch?"  
With a chuckle, Alexandra laid a short, chaste kiss on her wife's   
slightly parted lips before shrugging and walking right past her, toward  
the kitchen. "I was proving myself, that's all," she responded casually.  
The musician blinked and then let her glare fade away. "Oh,   
well... Wait!" she called, turning on her heel to once again shot a   
stern glance at the blonde woman. "Don't you tell me that you went to   
the battle and used that sword!"  
Smiling, the blonde stopped in her tracks just long enough to   
shrug. "Okay," she agreed, starting back down the hall.  
Her wife let out a long breath she didn't know she'd been holding.  
"I won't tell you."  
Michelle groaned inwardly and, after resisting the urge to Deep   
Submerge the other woman, stalked after her wife.  
************  
  
The Galactic Sailors Say!  
  
(Enter the five "original" Galactic Sailors, minus Tara, dressed in   
normal clothes.)  
  
Reeny: (scratching head) Did we learn anything today?  
  
Haley: (plopping down on the edge of the stage) I don't know... I don't   
really think there was anything we could have learned from this episode.  
It was all a bunch of mush because Butler is a lonely, lonely writer.  
  
Lyra: (nodding in agreement with Haley's comment) We need to get that   
girl a boyfriend.  
  
Alice: (snickers) Why? So she can get lucky, too?  
  
(A little super-deformed Sailor Polaris begins to chase an SD Sailor   
Aurora Borealis across the room, waving her arms and yelling threats.)  
  
Phoebe: (scowling) Well, that was mean.  
  
Alice: (without remorse; actually, sounding QUITE proud of herself)   
Thank you.  
  
Phoebe: (rolling her eyes) I actually meant the things they were saying   
about Butler. She's not that bad.  
  
(All music stops. The SD characters poof out of existance. Everyone   
stares at Phoebe.)  
  
Phoebe: (cue little cat ears and tail) What?  
  
Reeny: (puts her hand on the other's forehead to check temperature) You   
feeling alright?  
  
Phoebe: (increasingly wary of the strange glances she's getting) Yeah...   
  
Lyra: (raising both eyebrows) You SURE?  
  
Phoebe: (more worried) Yeah...  
  
Haley: (rubbing hands together) On three, guys...  
  
(Phoebe starts to stand.)  
  
One...  
  
(The others all get ready to...pounce? Well, whatever--it certainly   
LOOKS like pouncing...)  
  
Two...  
  
(Phoebe dashes out of the room, screaming bloody murder)  
  
Alice: (sighing) I THOUGHT we warned her that defending the author could  
get her sent to the funny farm.  
  
Lyra: (shrugs) She never listens, does she?  
  
Reeny: (leaning forward and peering out into the darkness of whatever is  
beyond their stage) You don't think she's watching, DO you?  
  
ALL: Who?  
  
Reeny: (gulping) Butler.  
  
(They all peer forward for a long moment and then step back and inch   
toward the door.)  
  
Haley: (nervously) Uhh, we all say...  
  
(They dash for the door, and, as they do, a frantic scream choruses   
through the area:)  
  
ALL: See ya!  
  
-I Know-  
Look around...  
(Ambriel stares down at Tokyo from the top tower of Crystal Palace)  
So many things aren't clear...  
(Aeris and Peter stand before the Gate of Time with terrified   
expressions)  
Don't worry, though...  
(Haley smiles and turns a page in her book)  
You know that I'll be there...  
(Orion and Orb chase after the kittens)  
A lot of things are so uncertain...  
(Tara, near tears, bites her lip)  
The future's on its way...  
(Michelle holds Delaney, an amazed smile on her face)  
Look into my crying eyes...  
(Reeny wipes tears off her cheeks while Serenity watches nervously)  
Don't take your love away!  
(Alice slams the door in her father's face)  
  
Sometimes, the road looks long...  
(Lyra looks up at the North Star)  
And sometimes, the world seems wrong...  
(Phoebe hugs her mother around the waist)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(The six Galactic Sailors hold up their lockets)  
  
Sometimes, you feel weak...  
(Richard grabs onto the wrist of a falling Celeste)  
And sometimes, the future looks bleak...  
(Terrence shakes his head as Sailor Pluto walks through the Gate of Time)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(Ambriel, Celeste, and Aeris all hold up their transformation pens)  
  
Times will change...  
(Tara, robes flying, chases Joshua around the courtyard)  
People will change, too...  
(Haley plays with her now-long hair)  
But deep inside...  
(Helios takes Reeny's hands in his)  
I always will love you...  
(Richard bends down to kiss Lyra)  
I suppose there are questions now...  
(Peter tugs on Terrence's pant leg)  
The answers are so far...  
(Alice and Phoebe dive for a floating sphere and miss)  
But look at me and smile now...  
(Hannah and Brian both smile as Alex takes Delaney into her arms)  
I am your guiding star!  
(Lyra and Richard stare at Celeste and Peter, who are watching the   
sunset)  
  
Sometimes, the road looks long...  
(Lyra looks up at the North Star)  
And sometimes, the world seems wrong...  
(Phoebe hugs her mother around the waist)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(The six Galactic Sailors hold up their lockets)  
  
Sometimes, you feel weak...  
(Richard grabs onto the wrist of a falling Celeste)  
And sometimes, the future looks bleak...  
(Terrence shakes his head as Sailor Pluto walks through the Gate of Time)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(Ambriel, Celeste, and Aeris all hold up their transformation pens)  
  
I know...  
(Chibi-Pluto, the Angel Moon, and Chibi-Star stand together)  
I know...  
(The Galactic Sailors stand together)  
All you need is love...  
(All nine girls stand together)  
All you need...is...love...  
(The Prince and Princess of the Stars kiss)  
************  
  
Okay, this is over and done with. It didn't take too long, either...   
Gotta LOVE summer break, don't you? Hmmm... What to say, what to say?  
  
Oh! Everybody, check out the Galactic Picture by Katherine. She's a   
great artist and, if I find her e-mail addy (hint! Katherine!), then   
I'll give it out so you can send her mail. Okay?  
  
--Kate  



	10. Battle On

Battle On  
  
Author's Ramblings: Ding-ding! Let the fights begin! What? Look at the   
title, for Pete's sake! There are going to be some rebellions in this   
fic, okay? Don't hold it against me (or Christina, though she really   
doesn't always know what exactly I am writing, cue cat-ears), or death   
with become you very much so, if you catch my drift. The battling will   
be me on your behind. I'm kidding, of course, I'm just a stupid author,   
anyway. Send me mail--my e-mail box is lonely. Well, pretty lonely,   
except for ecchi-mail. Okay then. Enough of my stupidity, and on with   
the show!  
-Catch the blatant SMS reference, win a gold star in my notebook! And,   
while it DOES nothing, that star does look really nice aside all my   
Galactic Sailors Notes!-  
-The "ballet move" that Phoebe is doing is something I can't spell,   
pronounced 'plea ae'. You figure it out...-  
************  
Hey? What happened last time?   
  
In case you forgot, Lita became increasingly worried about what gender   
her daughter preferred. Of course, all doubts were dashed when, after   
Alice accepted Todd Walker's prom date, Lita walked in on the two of   
them on the couch, kissing. Lyra told off her mother in a wonderful show  
of bravery, and was "in a good mood" at the end of the story. Helios   
proposed to Reeny and she accepted, under the condition that they wait   
until after the enemy's dead to tell the others. Eric still loves Haley.  
And Amy figured out that the Scouts can beat evil without the help of   
the Mistresses.  
  
And that, my friends, is where the story begins...  
************  
  
She stood at the mailbox, the springtime breeze ruffling her hair,  
staring down at the small white envelope. Life, she had long ago   
decided, was really anti-climatic in nature--things could happen, and   
they could be earth shattering, but the thrill would die down by the end  
of a day. And that was her life, indeed.  
"Notre Dame," she sighed, green-blue eyes staring first at the   
address, then at the stamp, and then at her own return address label.   
"It's a good school, and I blew it..." A slight smile touched her lips,  
then, and she pulled open the tan-colored metal box, thinking. "Then   
again, if I turn it in late, then I turned it in. And, like Phoebe said,  
there's no guilt in that." She thrust the little object into the box   
and closed the small door. "And, this way, I won't have to leave Tokyo--  
or my friends."  
Brushing a long strand of wind-blown hair from her face, Haley   
Jordan Ten'ou stared up at the silver-white, shining spire that was  
Crystal Palace. The noonday sunlight glinted off the surface, and she   
had to shield her eyes to see clearly. Crystal Palace... Crystal   
Tokyo... The home of a destiny she didn't really understand...  
"If I ever understand why life is like this," she whispered to   
herself, turning her back on Crystal Palace and starting back into the   
small ranch house, "I'll be one lucky girl, THAT'S for sure..."  
************  
  
"Have you seen Tara?" grumbled the blonde teen, tossing her lunch   
bag onto the small, round table as she plopped down in her normal seat.   
The confused expression on her companion's face was really enough of a   
'no' for her, so she sighed and pulled out a sandwich. "Well, neither   
have I."  
Chewing tentatively on an oatmeal cookie, the auburn-haired teen   
raised an eyebrow. "Since when am I her keeper?" she asked a bit   
sarcastically. "After all..." She shied away from her jokes upon   
receiving a stern, almost angry glare and smiled sheepishly. "Why?   
What's the big deal?"  
Lyra picked a piece of lettuce from her BLT and set it on her   
napkin. "The 'big deal' is that she's in my Japanese history class and   
we had a class project due today." She wrinkled her nose and removed the  
tomato from her lunch as well. "I was in charge of making sure she and   
her cronies got their part done--and they had to do a report on classic   
Japanese art, which was a big part. And you know what?"  
"No Tara?" responded Alice with a shrug. "So what else is new?"   
Looking down at the disassembled sandwich, she cocked her head to one   
side. "Why do you eat BLTs just for the bacon?"  
"I tell Rich not to make these, but he doesn't listen any better   
than the cat does," she sighed, picking up the remainder of her lunch   
and taking a large bite out of it. "And it wasn't just no Tara--it was   
NO GROUP!" She wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Those four have about the   
brains of a toad put together, and most those brains are Tara's."  
The older girl nodded in agreement. "She's still hanging out with  
those three big-chested 11th-graders, isn't she? The blonde   
cheerleaders?" Lyra sighed and bobbed her head up-and-down reluctantly.   
"Yeah, well, there's the problem. Lily, Tonya, and Natalie probably   
ditched and took the Shinto with them."  
"That's what pisses me off so much," admitted the curly-haired   
one, grabbing her baggie of Cheese Balls and tossing them down on the   
Formica surface in annoyance. "Those three couldn't really care less   
about her. Or who she is. All they are is fair weather friends."   
Resting her chin in a hand, she sighed and shook her head. "And, as mad   
as I am at that girl," she lamented softly, "I still really, really miss  
her."  
Her friend nodded, suddenly loosing interest in her tuna salad. "I  
know what you mean," she agreed pensively, her chestnut eyes turning   
sad. "No matter how bull-headed she is, she's still a friend. And a   
Scout."  
"You're Girl Scouts?" chimed in a new voice, and Alice groaned   
upon hearing it. Suddenly, there was a blur of gold-brown hair and   
Landis Weidner, everyone's favorite student counsel member, seated   
herself in one of the two empty chairs. "I didn't know that! Coolness!"  
"This is NOT my life," mumbled the auburn-haired teen, shaking her  
head slowly and hiding her head in her hands. "This is quite clearly   
NOT my life..."   
The cheery girl glanced at Lyra in doubt. "Are we SURE that she's   
alright?"   
Nodding, the curly-haired one smiled sweetly at the guest. "Say,   
Landis, you can have your way with the administration, can't you?" she   
queried, batting her eyelashes and playing with her ponytail just enough  
to look completely innocent.  
Immediately, Alice picked up her head and leaned forward, trying   
to get in on whatever her friend was planning.  
Landis chewed on her lower lip for a moment before nodding  
cautiously. "If I really want to," she replied in a soft voice, confused  
by the question. "Why?"  
"Well, what if we had information?" attempted the auburn-haired   
one. "What if we THOUGHT that a student had skipped school, but we   
didn't quite know if her mother had called her in?"  
"And what if," mused the blonde, expression still sweetly   
uncorrupt, "we could give you the name?"  
The little stooge's face lit up with the prospect of getting   
another student in trouble--especially when that trouble was with the   
principal. "Why, you give me the name!" she insisted, pulling a sheet of  
paper and a purple pen from her backpack and thrusting it toward the duo  
of students. "I can get into the computer and check without any trouble,  
and your trouble-maker will be toast in no time!"  
Resting one finger on her chin, Alice cocked her head to one side.  
"But, Landis," she gasped in mock concern, "won't you get a detention   
for playing little-miss-hacker?"  
"Oh, no, no, no!" giggled the teen with the light brown hair,   
leaning forward to share her secret with the 13th-grader. "That's the   
cool part," she whispered softly as Lyra scrawled down a name on the   
sheet of paper. "They don't really care what I do as long as I don't   
break anything..." She held back a school-girlish giggle and nudged her   
companion in the shoulder. "As Student Counsel President, I basically   
rule the school."  
Nearly choking on her soda, the auburn-haired one suppressed an   
incoming rude comment and smiled back at the other student. "If you say   
so, dear," she chortled, holding back her urge to full-out laugh in her   
face. "You just got to hope that the Sailor Scouts don't show up and   
stage a revolution on your ass."  
Lyra dropped the pen and let her brown eyes go wide.  
"You believe in the Sailor Scouts?" asked Landis, not without   
surprise in her voice. "Okay, yeah, like THEY'RE real!" She laughed a   
little and snatched the paper and pen away from the short blonde. "Tara   
Larch Yuuichirou," she read, bobbing her head in response to the name.   
"I'll get right on it!" Picking up her bookbag, she smiled. "Laters!"  
"Bye!" called Alice in a falsetto tone, waving. Then, as soon as   
the other teen was out of earshot, she dropped her tone and wiped the   
forced grin from her face. "God, I HATE that girl," she grumbled,   
gulping down the remainder of her Sprite. "She's SO rude."  
Popping a cheese ball in her mouth, Lyra raised an eyebrow. "We're  
going to stage a revolution on her ass?" she mocked, a bit of a smile   
creeping across her lips. "Come ON, Alice, tell me that you didn't   
deserve a bit of a laughing at."  
The older teen sulked into her empty can for a brief moment before  
leaning her elbows on the table and smiling rather deviously at her   
friend. "Still, your plan was pretty smart," she admitted with a wiggle   
of her eyebrows. "I didn't think that you had it in you, especially not   
when it gets Tara in trouble. That is SUCH a Pheebs thing."  
"I know," grinned the blonde proudly with a toss of her ponytail,  
"but I think that it might teach Tara to shape up."  
"In theory," countered Alice."  
Lyra shrugged. "Hey," she protested, leaning back into her plastic  
chair. "Everything's a theory till it works."  
************  
  
"Galileo!" she called, stopping in her pink-padded tracks to glare  
at the little tan cat who was curled up on the living room couch. "Did   
you go over those readings that I gave you?"  
He rolled onto his back, the light, content snoring fading away.   
"Five more minutes, Mom..." he groaned, pawing a bit at the air. "I   
don't need to use the litterbox..."  
Lavender eyes rolled as the chubby cat made his statement, and   
their owner was only partially angry because of the fact he was asleep.  
No, Ara told herself as she held back the urge to slit his throat with   
her bared claws, that wasn't really why she was angry, at all. She was   
angry because, if her brother was asleep, that could only MEAN one   
thing.  
That he had NOT read the printouts that she'd received from   
Crystal Palace.  
"Get UP!" she roared angrily, hopping onto the couch and   
positioning herself so her body was directly above his. One paw, silver   
claws gleaming, was held right above his tan throat.   
Groggily, a single red eye cracked open. Its partner followed as,   
wordlessly, the bigger of the two cats evaluated the situation. After a   
brief moment, he allowed a sheepish smile to creep across his face.   
"Uhh... Jeez..." he gulped, trying to find a way to wiggle free of the   
threat without hurting himself. "I'm guessing that you're mad, Ara...   
So, why don't we do like Michelle always suggests when there's a fight   
and talk it out, before..." He grimaced as the green paw slipped   
marginally closer to his body. "Before you kill me..."   
She didn't move her single paw, but the sharp lavender eyes   
lowered in his direction. "Carina and Diana sent us some readings on the  
monsters," she growled, voice so low and stern that it led his fur to   
stand on end, "and I gave them to you to read. Did you, or did you NOT,  
read them?"  
"Not?" he choked, his normally deep lilt rising a full three   
octaves in pitch as he squirmed under her. The claws sparkled in the   
light from the window, and he clenched both eyes shut, suddenly   
horrifically afraid to look up at her. "I was going to do it!" he   
insisted loudly, mews echoing through the room as he spoke. "I just   
thought... And I... It was just... And a nap..."  
Ara held back her urge to actually rip open his neck right then   
and there. Instead, she took three cautious steps back and sat down on   
her haunches, still glaring at her brother. "I gave you those read-outs   
for a REASON, stupid! Just wait till I tell Mom!"  
"Tell Mom," retorted the tan cat, rolling over and clambering to   
his feet as quickly as he could. "See what I care!" The bloodred eyes   
lowered to a stony glare as he strode up to his twin sister and brought   
their noses together, leaving only a centimeter's gap between them. "I  
am not your little groupie, Ara, and I DON'T have to answer to you!"  
She didn't pull her face from his stern stare. "You're a Guardian,  
Galileo," she hissed, her voice hardly above a whisper as she sat before  
him. "Start acting like one." Then, huffing into her whiskers, she   
jumped off the couch and started toward the door.  
The fur on his back rose slowly. "Don't run away from me this   
time, Ara!" he shot at her retreating form. "Don't try to hide from me!   
We both know what a coward you are! You hide behind your printouts and   
your books and your brains, but you're afraid!" He watched as she paused  
before the cracked door, not turning around but not walking. His anger   
built. "You're afraid of losing this God-forsaken war that that Scouts   
are waging! And you're afraid of disappointing Mom and Dad!"  
Not turning around, Ara sighed and shook her head. "I don't want   
to see the world that will come about by the Scouts NOT winning this   
war," she responded coolly, motionless as she spoke. "And I don't want   
to know what the world will be like if we don't do our God-ordained   
duties for those Scouts.  
"We were born into Guardianship, Galileo, and we have no choice  
but to accept it. We're stuck." She closed her eyes, unable to bring   
herself to face him. "I don't like it any more than you do, sometimes,   
but we don't have the liberty to pick and choose. We only have the   
liberty to do our duty to the Chibi-Scouts and to the world."  
She sighed. "You relish in the past. You love being a normal cat.   
You fight the powers that you have. You fear the future." Ara held back   
an urge to fall to the floor and sob. Already, her knees were weak. "You  
should fear the mistakes of the past. You should relish in your powers.   
You should love the present. And you should fight the future, because   
that much is not set in stone.  
"It's hard being a Guardian. We didn't choose this path, but Fate   
did. Time did. Destiny did. And I will be one of the 'ready Guardians'   
of the Prophesy.  
"But, since that's what you're so afraid of, I--as leader of the   
new Guardians--relieve you of your Guardianship of the Master of Time."  
Slowly, she gulped and started out the door.  
He didn't move. He didn't speak. He held back the tears in his   
burgundy eyes as he watched his sister leave. The lump in his throat   
grew as he thought about her words.  
No longer a Guardian? Was that a blessing or a curse?  
Galileo took a deep breath and started out the door after her, but  
held no intention of talking to her.  
He did, however, hold an intention of going home. Not to this   
home, with the Outer Senshi and their daughters, but to his first home.  
To see his mother.  
************  
  
"Wow! Look at this!" shrieked the thin blonde, stopping in her   
walk down the street to admire the red convertible that was parked--top   
down--on the side of the road. "Ain't it HOT, girls?"  
Another of the foursome, who was also impossibly blonde and almost  
unrealistically thin, climbed over the locked door and slid into the   
passenger's seat. "This IS neat, Tonya!" she praised the first girl as   
she kicked her feet up to rest on the dashboard. "Now, all we need to do  
is hot-wire it..."  
Suddenly, the dark-haired one got an uneasy feeling in the pit of   
her stomach, and she didn't think it was just the Mexican they'd had for  
lunch.   
"You can hot-wire, Lily, can't you?" asked the first blonde,   
called Tonya.  
The last one, "Lily", shook her head, but she did pull a long   
piece of wire from her tiny black purse. "Can't hot-wire," she responded  
with a devious smile flashed toward the other two blondes, "but I can   
jimmy an engine to start!"  
Sighing wistfully, the girl in the passenger's seat leaned back,   
sending a dopey blue-eyed glance at the silent dark-haired one. "Now,   
all we need is a driver... Right, TARA?"  
With a cautious backward step, Tara shook her short head of hair   
and adjusted her purse strap as a distraction. "Uhh... Look, guys..."   
she stammered, her eyes transfixed on the face of the seated blonde.   
"Natalie, I..."  
"You AFRAID?" giggled Lily, waving the single wire as she spoke.  
"Come ON," pleaded Tonya, batting her long eyelashes. "You're a   
whole year older than us, so you've got to be AT LEAST seventeen, and   
you can drive!"  
Her mouth went dry. True, she was in 12th grade whereas they were   
in 11th, but there was a catch: she'd hung onto getting in by the skin   
of her teeth, and even then, it had been close. She, truthfully,   
wouldn't be seventeen until the end of the school year. And her mother   
had distinctly said that there would be no driver's licenses until she   
was seventeen, because that was the summer and the summer was a time   
where she could use such a license. And THAT had been before she'd quit   
her Shinto ways--who knew what her mother would do when summer came,   
now?  
Still, with three pairs of blue eyes on her, what could she   
possibly say?  
"Alright," grumbled Tara, hopping into the driver's seat and   
watching as one of her companions slipped the wire into the ignition.   
"But, for the record, I'm praying we don't get caught..."  
************  
  
"You're being quiet again, dear," he sighed, taking a break from   
washing a large stack of dishes to cross into the living room area and   
perch on the arm of the couch. "Is everything alright?"  
His girlfriend, her soft, silken hair pulled into a hair, tight   
bun, nodded reluctantly, her bright walnut eyes never leaving the book   
before her. "You know how April is," she responded in a tone that seemed  
to be far too calm. "The school work piles up..."  
Glancing over her shoulder at the thick packet of social studies   
worksheets, his brow knit in both confusion and frustration--confusion   
because her manner was vague, and frustration because he KNEW that she   
was lying. He slid onto the couch, still wearing his yellow rubber   
gloves, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Maybe you need a   
slight distraction, Star," he suggested, a slightly evil smile playing   
across his lips. "I'm certain that--"  
"No!" she shot suddenly, slamming her book shut and glaring   
daggers at him. The blue eyes behind his glasses widened and he   
retrieved his arm slowly, a hurt expression crossing his face. She   
frowned. "I didn't mean to snap at you like that," she apologized   
quickly, staring down at the pen in her hands as she spoke. "I've just   
got a lot on my mind, that's all..."  
Richard pursed his lips and took a brief moment to catch the name   
atop the worksheets. Tara Yuuichirou. He groaned inwardly. He should   
have know that it was that worthless ex-Shinto again! She had quite an   
affinity for upsetting his poor little Star, especially as time wore on.  
He let out a long sigh and took her pen-less hand in his. "You can't   
keep worrying about her, you know."  
Her answer was quick in coming, but not very original. "Who?"   
Still, he question was touched with just enough innocence that he was   
almost conned into believing she was telling the truth. Almost.   
"Tara." Before his Star could respond, he grabbed the worksheets   
and waved them before her face. "Explain right now, and I won't even get  
angry about your creative lying."  
Lyra gulped, twisting a single curly hair around her free index   
finger as she squeezed his hand gently. "I wish I could tell you, but I   
don't even know..." She pulled her lower lip between her teeth, a   
pensive expression crossing her pale face. "I just really miss her...   
She's my friend, you know..."  
He nodded and removed his hand from hers, pulling her into his   
arms and hugging her to his chest. "I know that you miss her, and I   
think all the Scouts do..." Richard brushed a strand of red hair from   
his own eyes as he stared at her. "But if she didn't respond to Phoebe's  
cat fight, then she's a lost cause."  
"I don't WANT her to be a lost cause!" she exclaimed, tears biting  
at her eyes as she tried desperately to weasel from his embrace. The   
anger was exploding, now, cutting through her heart and mind as he held   
her in place. "I don't want to lose her! I love her! She's my friend!   
She's our friend! She's my friend!" Ceasing her struggle, she buried her  
face in the blazer of his school uniform and began sobbing. "Please...   
Tell me otherwise..."  
Richard sighed and stroked her hair wordlessly for a brief moment,  
staring down at the little silver cat who was starting out the door,   
toward the "real" world. He cocked his head. She shrugged her furry   
shoulders and sighed. Then, he nodded toward her before turning back to   
the crying girl--no, young woman--in his arms.  
Smoothing her wrinkled school blouse over her back, he leaned   
forward and gently kissed her head. "I wish I could, Lyra," he responded  
softly, deep timbre soothing. "But, until someone tells her straight out  
how much they care, or until there's a show of real authority in her   
life, there--"  
The mention of authority just caused her to bawl more loudly, and   
he felt himself slowly lose just a little patience. As much as he loved   
her, and as understand as he tried to be, he really didn't like to deal   
with a screaming/crying Star.   
Then, an idea popped into his head. "I've got a bag of frozen   
french-fries in the kitchen!" he exclaimed, letting her go to jump up   
and start back to the quiet other room. "I'll go get those, and we'll   
eat fries and talk about the whole problem!"  
She sniffled and managed a wary nod.  
And, despite his concern for his sweet little love, Richard   
smiled.  
************  
  
"It bothers me, you know," she whispered, glancing over the little  
partition between the kitchen and little family room type area, "that   
she hasn't left yet! I mean, if SHE'S still here, then where's my dad?"   
She wrinkled her dainty little nose and took a long swig of lemonade.   
"And why is SHE cooking? It's YOUR night, you know!" Jabbing a finger at  
the chest of her brunette friend, she scowled before tossing her head   
haughtily. "I'm surprised that she didn't try to make it a whole Sailor   
Scout party?"  
Studying the ice cubes in her own cup of lemonade, the other teen   
raised her eyebrows. "And why DIDN'T we make a whole Sailor Scout party?  
It would be..." The icy-eyed glare from her companion shut her up, and   
she gulped down the remaining drink. "Now, what were you saying about   
your mother?"  
Both teens strained to see the short, blue-haired adult who stood   
over the stove. She wore a kerchief over her head as she stir-fried a   
large wok of vegetables. Every few moments, she would scowl in the   
direction of the cookbook, as though it had suddenly said something   
extremely rude. All about her was an air of determination, which   
happened to be mixed with an equally strong air of absolute frustration.  
Sweat dripped down her brow as she leaned over the half-finished dinner,  
trying earnestly to make a home-cooked meal for what was most likely the  
first time in three years.  
This drove Phoebe's lips into an out-and-out frown as she stared   
at the adult's back. "I just wonder where Dad is," she sighed, her tone   
upbeat but her manner nervous. "You would think he'd come... You would   
think that SHE'D leave..."  
"Spying isn't nice, you know," chuckled a new voice from behind   
the duo, and they both jumped up only to see a pair of bright chestnut   
eyes staring down at them, with silvery eyebrows above raised high. "Do   
you really want to know the truth?" asked Marie softly, an expression   
crossing her face that unnerved even the impossibly calm Haley.   
The blue-braided one nodded.   
Placing her empty glass gingerly on the coffee table, the brunette  
teen shrugged and flipped her ponytail behind her shoulders. "Not my   
concern," she stated coolly in a tone that would have made her tomboyish  
mother proud. "In fact, I was on my way to go running when Mrs. Urawa   
offered me some lemonade." She wagged a tennis shoe covered foot as   
proof, ignoring the scowls she received in return for wearing shoes in   
the house. "Later!"  
Phoebe was going to protest, but a stern glance from her aunt   
silenced her. Without exchanging words, they slowly walked through the   
(now ajar, thanks to Haley) sliding door and onto the large porch. The   
wood was a pleasant color of reddish-brown, and the teen could remember   
the day her parents had refinished the wood. Its cheery color seemed   
bright in the afternoon sun, but she--pushing a strand of loose hair   
from her face--choose to ignore her surrounds and, instead, began to   
practice some basic ballet moves. Nothing calmed her nerves more than   
ballet. Except, perhaps, cracking jokes, but Marie had never appreciated  
that...   
Down one: Bend only at the knee! Up one...   
"Let me assure you, Phoebe," began the seemingly young woman, the   
blush of immortality seeming to fade in the somberness of her own   
expression, "that this really isn't the first time."  
Down two: Don't waver, Phoebe! Up two...  
She sighed and rested her elbows on the railing of the deck. "I   
remember the first time they went through this, and I was so scared,   
too... But that time, it all repaired itself..." Shaking her head, she   
stared off at the two small trees in the backyard. "I figured them to be  
my only family, and after my brother had pleaded for Sailor Pluto to   
grant MY immortality, too..."  
Down three: What's she getting at? What's the point? Why did Dad   
bother Miss Pluto? Up three...  
"My parents had JUST died... I was twenty-two, far too young to   
lose both parents to a train wreck..." Her eyes didn't leave the little   
rabbit who sat, innocent as a child, beneath the small crabapple tree.   
"Your mother knew Setsuna--wait, Susan, that's the name she uses in this  
world, right?--and refused to mention the thought of sparing me from   
death. But your father loved me... He loved me..." She choked on hidden,  
unshed tears. "He went to talk to Pluto."  
Down four: What the HELL is going on? Calm girl, you don't   
swear... Yes, you do, when there's trouble... And this is trouble... Up   
four...  
With a shrug, she watched the bunny hop away, its cottontail the   
brightest thing in the dark shade the tree cast. "Pluto agreed," she   
continued, smiling slightly at the memory. "She said that, someday, I   
would lead to help their daughter in her time of need. And so, I was   
granted that which all the Senshi had--immortality."  
Down five: Holy Christ! What is this? Don't tell me that she has   
a point! I don't think... I don't KNOW! I'M SUPPOSED TO KNOW! Up   
five...  
"I suppose that it was my fault, but it surprised me when he   
announced the separation..." A slight chuckle escaped her lips as she   
blinked her silver-lashed eyes. "They separated because your mother was   
mad at Pluto! Or so I thought..."  
Down six: I'm not getting back up, am I? I ache. My heart is what   
hurts, really... Is she saying what I think she is? Up six...  
Brown eyes closed and stayed closed, and a single tear ran down a   
white cheek as the adult pursed her lips, trying not to become overly   
emotional and doing a poor job of that. "They fight a lot more than   
you'll ever know, Pheebs," she volunteered. "They didn't call because   
the counselors in Boston said not to. They fight over what's best for   
the world, and for their marriage, and for you..."  
Down seven: It's not my fault! It's never my fault! Really, it's   
NOT!  
"And that's what they fought about back then, barring the talk of   
you..." She wiped away a stray tear. "They fought about life and the   
galaxy and tomorrow and today and next week and bringing a child into   
the world and having pets and...and..." Her voice shook as she, and the   
teen, recognized the impact of her words. The implications of her words.  
The MEANING of her words.  
Down eight: But they don't HAVE to give up! Please, please God NO!  
They can battle on! Please! Up eight...  
Marie turned her gaze, which was teary and red-eyed, on the girl.   
Freezing in place, the teen could feel a very bad taste in her mouth. A   
taste like nothing she'd ever tasted. And, in all honesty, she thought   
she was going to vomit.  
"Phoebe," she whispered, not having the mere strength of heart to   
step forward, "their marriage is over."  
Down nine: This is a dream... A dream... A dream... I am not   
living this life... I'm not going through this...  
"Phoebe?"  
No, wait... No dream could hurt THIS much...  
Collapsing weakly to her knees, the braid-headed one found that   
all she could do was cry.  
************  
  
"I thought Evil Queens ordered take out," chuckled the young   
woman, striding into the kitchen with her hand thrust deep into her   
pockets. There, in all her apron-covered glory, stood the Queen of All   
Things Evil, and she was throwing ingredients into a large vat on the   
stove. Her shoulder-length hair was pulled back into an extravagant bun,  
crown still proudly topping her head, as she wrinkled her nose at the   
wry comment. Tina chuckled and sat down at the table, using her powers   
to pull a carafe and a glass mug from the counter and set them before   
her. "You know you made that comment, Ginnie," she reminded her boss and  
queen with a slight snicker. "It was when Seth suggested you make ginger  
chicken..."  
The other young woman scowled and set the giant pot on one of the   
burners. "I KNOW what I said," she spat in annoyance, her brown eyes   
focusing on the mess of spices and vegetables she'd split on the top of   
the stove. "But Evil Queens need money to order out." She wrinkled her   
nose. "How is the search for my little poopsie, the Crystal of   
Illusion?"  
Blanching, the ebony-haired one began to pour herself a cup of   
coffee. "It's been worse," she smiled, writing the statement off as 'not  
completely a lie.' "The monsters have caused problems for the Scouts--"  
True. "--and Norton and I have been looking very hard--" True. "--and   
the Crystal IS hard to find--" QUITE true. She wrinkled her nose as NO   
coffee came out of the carafe. Unscrewing the lid, she smiled sweetly.   
"I intend to send a creature out after dinner."  
"Good news to my ears, that is..." Ginnie walked over to her   
minion and snatched the pitcher away, peering inside. "No coffee?" she   
asked, an evil smile crossing her face.  
"No, no! There's coffee!" blundered Tina, snatching away the   
container and turning it upside-down above her cup. "Really! It's dried   
and gross, but it's there!"  
The Queen had, however, already pulled a large tin labeled   
'coffee' from a cabinet and poured some of it in a beaker. "Would you   
like some tasty coffee?" she chuckled, tossing her head back and   
laughing diabolically.   
Vehemently shaking her head, the younger of the two put her hands   
in the air. "No! I don't! I was going to check if the coffee was   
poisoned so you couldn't be assassinated but...uh... No coffee, no   
poison, right? Right?" She rubbed the back of her neck and tripped over   
herself as she tried to get up from her seat. "Uh..."  
"Give me a Bunsen burner!" insisted the evil Queen, slipping a   
white lab coat on over her black gown and frilly pink apron. "Time for   
TASTY COFFEE!! BWAHAHAHAHAHA!" She threw back her head.   
"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"  
Tina charged out the door as quickly as she could, nearly breaking  
the 'open' button by punching it forcefully. Her Queen's manic laughter   
echoed through the hallway even as the door slid shut, and it was all   
she could do to lean against the stone wall and wait for the ringing in   
her ears to subside.  
As she stood there, gasping and shuddering, the giant emu strode   
up and smiled slightly at her. "Hi, dear," he greeted with a slight cock  
of his head as he noticed the pained expression on her companion's face.  
"You alright?"  
She just shook her head weakly.  
"How about some coffee? I think..."  
And the response echoed as much as Ginnie's laughter.  
"NO COFFEE!"  
************  
  
The wind ruffled her hair as the quick red car sped down the   
highway, her three passengers all giggling and shrieking as they raced   
along, zipping past other vehicles that were, most likely, already   
exceeding the speed limit. She was silent, not an uncommon occurrence,   
but she WAS enjoying herself.  
Freedom, she wistfully smiled to herself, not letting the  
traitorous sigh within escape her lips, never tastes the blood of   
battle. It never feels the pain of loss or the hatred of being   
misunderstood or the emptiness of losing real friends...  
She immediately thought of Lyra, her memories betraying her   
willpower as a vision of the curly-haired blonde popped into mind. Her   
brown eyes were smiling, her pink lips curved into their perfect little   
grin... The others were with her, of course, all grinning and laughing   
and flashing peace signs for the camera in her mind's eye... She   
wrinkled her nose and blinked, trying to keep her eyes on the road.   
After all, the worst place for a premonition was behind the steering   
wheel, as her mother had once forewarned. But Shintos had to just stay   
focused... In essence, they had to neglect their sixth sense. But a   
sixth sense took years to control--years of rigorous training that she'd  
never had. She frowned, a bitter taste in her mouth.   
Cars... Speed... Wind... No battles... No worries... Flashing red   
lights... Giggles... Cool breeze... Mused hair... Sirens... No blood...   
No Shintoism... No worries...  
SIRENS AND FLASHING LIGHTS? Green eyes glanced in the rearview   
mirror, and she felt her stomach lurch.  
A police car, AND a Royal Guard car. She dismissed the possibility  
of her day going well and pulled herself over to the side of the road,   
slowly breaking and bringing the hot--ooh, so many meanings to that   
word!--car to a stop. A blue-garbed policewoman, as well as her black-  
clothed Royal Guard companion walked up to the car. All three blondes   
were absolutely frozen in fear. Of course, they'd not expected her to   
pull over in the first place.  
"License and registration, please," smiled the female officer,   
cocking her head to one side pleasantly. The Royal Guard woman, on the   
other hand, looked ANGRY. Piercing brown eyes didn't leave the teen's   
face as she fumbled through her purse, dumping half the contents--Locket  
of the Earth included--on the floor of the car.  
Natalie, who was sitting beside her, bent over to help. The two in  
the backseat looked defeat, most likely upset that they couldn't flirt   
their way out of the mess. And, if she'd not been in the hot--there was   
that word again!--seat, Tara would have been amused.  
Right now, she was dead meat.  
"Let me see that locket," commanded the white-clothed one, her   
intense gaze staring right at the small disc that the blonde held. Blue   
eyes turned to the driver, and she nodded, still trying to find the   
supposed information she had.  
Leaning over toward the officer, Tonya batted her eyelashes. "How   
are you, Officer... Hama?" she questioned in a sweet, yet seductive   
voice. "Isn't it a FINE night for a spin?"  
The cop did not look amused, and patted her nightstick idly   
without words. Meanwhile, the Royal Guard had looked over the locket   
and, her face stoic, held it in front of the black-haired driver's face.  
"Do you know what this is?"  
"MY locket?" croaked the nervous teen, putting the emphasis on the  
first word so that, if the Guard knew what it was, she'd at least know   
WHO she, Tara Yuuichirou, was.   
"Get out of the car." The Guard tossed the Locket of Earth high   
into the air and caught it effortlessly. The frozen Scout of the Earth   
didn't move, but stared. "I won't catch it next time, TERRA," she   
growled, purposely pronouncing the girl's name the least bit differently  
to inflict one point--she knew. Her dark orange tresses shone in the   
setting sun. "TRUST me."  
Nodding, she pressed the auto-lock button and let herself out of   
the car, her entire body shaking. The others were all nervous as well,   
staring at their friend as she hesitantly received her 'jewelry' back.   
They all began to look exceedingly fearful of the white-garbed woman and  
her blue-clothed friend.  
But the white-suited one smiled at the cop. "See that these three   
make it home, Officer Hama," she directed with a single wave of her   
hand. "I'll take care of this girl."  
"Yes, Captain Keimeko!" saluted the other woman, standing straight  
up as she brought her hand from her head and clapped it over her heart.   
"Give my regard to the Royal Court, Ma'am!"  
Nodding, the orange-haired woman led Tara to her stark white car   
and opened the back door. Cautious not to trip over her skirt, Tara   
climbed into the auto and watched as the door was closed beside her. She  
even put on her seatbelt--something she'd not bothered to do in the   
convertible. Her green eyes stared at the locket she cradled in her   
sweaty palms.  
"How did you know?" she managed weakly, her voice catching in her   
throat with any syllable.  
Captain Keimeko managed a slight smile. "I know many things that I  
doubt you do," she responded, her intense eyes focusing on the miles of   
pavement ahead as she started up her car. "Truthfully, I didn't. The   
locket gave it away, really; before, you were just a car thief. Now   
you're a Sailor Scout who steals cars!" She laughed at her own joke,   
the corners of her eyes wrinkling, making her appear older than she   
first had.  
"So, I'm off the hook?" asked the teen with slight amusement in   
her question. Then, she scowled. The sheepish hope in her tone really   
hid the amusement.  
Laughing once again, Keimeko glanced at her through the rearview   
mirror and shook her head slowly. "I'm not in charge of that," she   
returned, still grinning. "When a Scout screws herself, pardon the   
expression, it's Serenity's problem." She turned back to the road.   
"However, the Queen will not see you until tomorrow. Bureaucracy has its  
way, doesn't it?"   
Wrinkling her brow in thought, Tara brushed a strand of wind-swept  
hair from her face. "So, now what?"  
"Now," responded the Captain of the Guard without tangible emotion  
in her voice, "you spend the night in jail."  
************  
  
"I feel sick," she muttered, clutching her knees to her chest as   
she sat alone in her bedroom, with her back to the wall and her face to   
one of her two windows. Sitting nearby, on the desk across the room,   
were the two Guardian cats. She gulped down the vomit that she knew was   
rising in the back of her throat.   
They were fighting in Marie's room.  
Every few moments, a word or two would be loud enough to pass   
through the wall, and she didn't have to wrack her brain to catch the   
major point of the argument: Marie had told the blue-haired girl against  
the wishes of the Mistress, and now she was paying dearly for it. Phoebe  
felt the tears in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Crying had  
never solved anything, she had learned. Loneliness, despair,   
helplessness, hopelessness... Nothing was fixed by letting free those   
damnable things called tears. Nothing ever had.  
"She'll make your aunt leave," commented the calico, laying down   
and resting her head on her front paws. "She hasn't changed at all, not   
in millennia." Noticing the odd glances she received in return, Orion   
shrugged. "What? I've met all the Mistresses before... It was just in   
the Silver Millennium, that's all..."  
"And you never learned when to hold your tongue," sighed her   
orange-and-white furred mate, copper-gold eyes focused on the gaunt,   
pale face of their shared charge. "Well, Pheebs, I'm sorry about what   
you're going through..."  
She nodded weakly, still staring out the windows. Every so often,   
she would sigh and let a single tear roll down her cheeks, a sure sign   
that whatever she was feeling was deep. Though somewhat goofy, only true  
hurt and honest anger could turn her to tears. Or REAL tears. She was   
dramatic, but real tears were hard to bring out...  
Suddenly, a yell went up in the next room. A yell that seemed to   
break down the wall, as though it had only been made of cotton.  
"THAT'S IT, MARIE! LEAVE!"  
Phoebe scrambled to her feet as quickly as she could at that,   
eliciting nervous gasps from the two cats. Still, neither animal dared   
to follow her as she threw open the door and stomped out into the   
hallway.  
"She needs to fight this one on her own, right?" questioned the   
feminine voice softly, a slight edge of nervousness to the usually   
upbeat lilt.  
A sigh echoed as Orb gulped back the lump in his throat. "Yes," he  
responded in a shaky tone, "she does."  
Blue braids thumped against her face as she strode right past the   
empty bedroom of her aunt and went right into the foyer, where the   
silver-haired adult was throwing on a coat. The watchful navy eyes of   
her mother never left the body of her aunt, so it took the girl no   
effort to walk right up to the door and, yet undetected, throw her arms   
in front of it.  
"No one," she spat, icy eyes glaring irately, "is going out of   
this house."  
Amy scowled, her already hateful expression gaining menace as she   
noticed the lithe form of her only child looming before the doorway.   
"You get out of here right now, Phoebe Solaria," she shot back, her tone  
full of ice. "This isn't your fight."  
She didn't move so much as an inch as her chest rose and fell in   
staggered breaths. "I will let her leave over my dead body..."  
"Phoebe..." warned Marie, her brown eyes rimmed with tears as she   
stared at the teen defending her. "Please, don't do this..."  
"Don't tempt me, young lady," growled the Mistress of Mercury,   
striding up to the youngest of the three and raising a shaky hand. "I am  
perfectly capable of taking you up on that offer."  
Without any emotion in her tone, the young woman took a deep,   
shuddering breath. "You can do your worst to me, Mother," she retorted   
coolly. "You can break up my family and send away the only person who   
has been there for me since this new Enemy surfaced, but I don't want to  
live to see it." She calmly drew the back of her left hand across her   
own running nose. "I don't want to live in a world where my family is in  
shambles. I don't want to live in a world where all I have is you."  
Amy started to bring her hand to slap her child across the face,   
but froze. Her glare melted and her eyes filled with tears. She pursed   
her lips and pulled away her hand, trying desperately not to lose all   
composure. She swallowed. "I don't want you to live in that world,   
either," she choked, rubbing an eye free of its forbidden moisture. "I   
don't want to hurt you both..." She glanced at her sister-in-law, all   
the biting rage from her expression draining quickly away. "I just   
haven't...ever...felt like this..." She took a shallow breath and turned  
back to her daughter. "But, Phoebe, this life is not a fairy tale.   
Things like this happen..."  
"And honesty is still the best policy, Mother," replied she,   
leaning against the hard surface behind her as she spoke. Surprisingly,   
her eyes were free of all tears. "You should have told me."  
Marie cocked her head toward the teen. "Pheebs, you're not..."  
"Crying," she finished quickly, nodding in understanding toward   
the shock in the other's voice. "Tears don't solve anything. People do."  
With a smile, Amy touched the cheek she had come so close to   
hitting. "You're right, you know," she agreed, her navy eyes still   
staring at the face of her child. "You've really changed a lot,   
sweetie..."  
Phoebe beamed and let a bit of the color return to her face.   
"It's amazing how much you can learn from cats," she returned, her tone   
gaining back some of its usual merriment.  
"Yeah, well, speaking of cats," came a little voice from the   
floor. All eyes turned to stare at a tiny tan kitten standing on the   
floor. His red eyes glanced up at the scene, and they all silently   
wondered how long the little animal had been there. He smiled. "Are my   
parents at home?"  
Nodding, the navy-haired teen bent down to stroke the soft fur of  
the little cat. "In my room, Gallie," she chuckled, watching as he   
playfully batted at a small piece of thread that laid on the floor. "But  
what brings you here?"  
He sighed and hung his head, smile fading away as quickly as it   
had come. "It's not my favorite story," he responded with a slight   
wrinkle of his pink nose. "I've just got to talk to them."  
As the kitten trotted off, the girl behind him, the blue-haired   
adult leaned over to whisper to her coat-clad companion. "Should I ask?"  
Marie smiled slightly and shook her head. "Not unless you REALLY   
want to know..."  
************  
  
She tossed the little orb down, letting it fall from her hand and  
to the sidewalk. And the blue crystal shattered on the ground.   
And the black-haired woman smiled.   
"Should we go home?" asked the giant bird beside her, watching as   
the crystal reformed into a creature that could be his identical twin.   
"It's getting late, and Ginnie made dinner."  
Tina smiled and, smoothing her long black gown, shook her head.   
"You go home, Norton, and get some rest," she commanded with a wink.   
"I'm staying here to see how well the Scouts do."  
He huffed and let a slight chuckle escape his closed beak. "You   
just want to avoid that damn 'tasty coffee,' don't you?" he asked, a bit  
of amusement in his query.  
"No..." she lied, scuffing her feet on the sidewalk. "That's not   
it..."  
"See you later, dear," he chortled, taking to flight as he spoke.   
"Have a good time."  
And, once again, she smiled.  
She was intending to have quite the good time.  
************  
  
"I HATE these damn birds!" screamed Sailor Aurora Borealis,   
rolling out from under the flying monster's shadow as he sent balls of   
fire raining down on the group of Sailor Scouts. "They can fly! REAL   
emus don't FLY!"  
"The angle's too high for me to hit it," complained Comet as she   
threw a ball of rock streaming toward the bird. It came crashing back  
down to the ground, landing right before her boot-covered feet. She   
grimaced, stumbling backward.   
Grunting in effort, Polaris dove away from a fireball and glanced   
around the area as she wiped sweat from her brow. "And where's Phoebe   
and her stupid computer when you need them?" she questioned irritably,   
clambering to her feet as she glared at the two other complaining   
Scouts.  
"Don't look at me!" exclaimed the brunette as she threw another   
ball of rock into the air and missed. "Your sister and boy-toy are   
missing, too!"  
She grimaced and then, rolling her brown eyes, raised a single   
fist high into the air. "Starlight streak!" she screamed, all her energy  
focused on hitting the bird.  
Silver light poured from her fist and, though not making contact   
with the entire creature, nicked the edge of one of its great wings. Its  
flight wavered, and the altitude dropped a bit.  
"Fiery Crater!"  
The comet made contact with the bird, but its effects only lasted   
for a few seconds before more fireballs fell from the creature's opened   
beak and hit the Scout. She roared out in pain as she was knocked a good  
twenty feet backward by the force of impact. The other two all gasped   
and started to rush toward her, but a call from the heavens stopped   
them.  
"Angelic Glow!"  
Writhing in agony, the monster suddenly slammed into the pavement.  
Three figures, hidden in the slight shadow of a high-rise building,   
bowed toward the two standing Scouts. The fourth form landed gracefully   
on the ground before them, her wings tucking behind her back as she did   
so.   
"I'll tend to Comet," Angel Moon offered quickly, stepping apart   
from the rest of the Chibi-Scouts. "The rest of you can deal with the   
monster."  
Nodding, the auburn-haired teen glowered at the bird, which was   
already struggling to its feet. She clenched her fists. "I hate you damn  
emus," she hissed, her brown eyes lowering slowly into an almost painful  
glare. "Rainbow Wave!"  
There was a crackling of blue energy, and the attack disappeared   
before the rainbow could hit the monster.  
"I can't POSSIBLY let you girls have your way, can I?" questioned   
a deep, amused voice. Suddenly, a woman appeared, floating effortlessly   
in mid-air above the bird. Shoulder-length black hair rimmed her tanned   
face, and slanted brown eyes stared directly at the Sailor Scouts. A   
long, sparkling black dress clung to her figure, giving her a purely   
evil look. And a smile, positively sadistic in nature, parted her lips.   
Sailor Polaris bristled. "Who the Hell are you?"  
"WHAT are you?" Chibi-Star shot as the Chibi-Scouts rushed over to  
join the other warriors. "You surely can't be human!"  
The woman looked almost offended by the comment. "So little to use  
such words," she scolded, 'tisk-tisking' with her tongue as she spoke.   
"Little girls should be seen and not heard." A beam of blue light   
erupted from her fingers and smashed into the pigtailed girl, sending   
her flying backwards. The Scouts all gasped, and Peter rushed toward the  
girl's side, but she chortled, a hand to her mouth.   
"Oops?" Glares sped toward her, and she shrugged her slender   
shoulders in response to the hate in their eyes. "Come now, little   
Sailor Scouts, you can't possibly expect to beat ME." She curtseyed   
deeply, but the snide curve of a smile never left her lips. "I'm Tina   
and, in the style of Rob, Seth, Arthur, and Kevin, I work for the Queen   
of Darkness, Evil Queen Ginnie." She rose from her bow and forged   
leaning back on her elbows, kicking one leg over the other as she did   
so. "Of course, I'm much stronger than the others, so you mustn't   
underestimate your enemy."  
There was an unidentifiable chuckle from the group, and all faces   
turned to see a blue-braided teen leaning against a lamppost, her fuku   
blowing in the wind as she glanced at the evil harbinger of doom before   
them. "Well, then, I guess we should OVERestimate you and just all   
attack now, right?" she questioned with a wink of a bright ice-colored   
eye. "Or, maybe we should let you get away and then let Sailor Moon and   
her sword come get you."  
Tina blinked at the 'new' Scout, completely awe-struck. Her brown   
eyes widened in shock. "You're CHALLENGING me?" she questioned, staring   
down the teen before her. "You actually DARE use that mouth toward me?"  
"Shining Dawn!" was her only response.  
The woman disappeared in a flash of blue, and the bright orange   
orb flew past the place she had been floating and, instead, smacked into  
the partially recovered monster. It roared and crumpled to the ground   
once again. Only then did the strange evildoer reappear.  
"Damn you Scouts!" she hissed, lowering her eyes at the smirking   
Sailor in particular. "Well, I WILL get you, but right now, I have a cup  
of coffee waiting!" She faded out of sight slowly.  
Sailor Phoenix snorted and strode over to the group, her ballet   
slippers slapping the ground loudly as she walked. "Can you BELIEVE   
her?"  
Wordlessly, Aurora Borealis smacked her friend in the shoulder.   
The younger Scout grimaced and rubbed the place she'd been hit. "WHAT DO  
YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" she shot angrily, grabbing the red-and-orange-  
garbed one by the collar. "She could have killed you with a finger!"  
"Almost did that to me," put in Sailor Chibi-Star with a cough,   
leaning on the sturdy shoulder of the Master of Time. "You shouldn't   
have stood up to her like that."  
Nodding in agreement, Angel Moon rose from her knees and smoothed   
her robes carefully. "And that monster has Comet out cold," she   
volunteered, shooting concerned glances toward the groaning young woman   
who laid on the ground. "She may be out for hours, yet..."  
"Makes you wonder what we're up against, doesn't in?" Sailor Moon   
suddenly hopped down from atop a nearby building, her sword neatly   
tucked away in her scabbard as she surveyed the surroundings. "If she   
and the monster did all this..."  
The street was practically destroyed, with holes in the road that   
would need to be repaired before anyone could drive on the surface. A   
few lampposts had been obliterated by the fireballs, and a small tree   
was smoldering, both black and charred from one of the bird's attacked.   
It looked like a war-ground, which was really what it was.  
No one had to say it aloud for all the Scouts to know what Sailor   
Moon was getting at. Eyes adverted other's gazes as the pink-haired one   
slowly unsheathed her sword and raised it into the air. There was a loud  
ringing as she cut through the still atmosphere before pointing the tip   
of the blade straight toward the grunting, half-dead bird.  
"Moon... Saber... Illumination..."  
As their leader said those words, Sailor Polaris sighed and licked  
her parched lips. "How much longer must we do battle?" she asked softly,  
her words almost lost in the crisp coolness of dusk. "How much longer   
until there IS peace?"  
No one had an answer.  
************  
  
"Since the beginning of time, there has been both good and evil,"   
she sighed, leaning against the cold stone wall as she perched on the   
wooden cot, her eyes staring at her desolate surroundings. "There has   
always been justice and injustice, love and hate... Peace and war..."   
She pulled her green eyes down to gaze at the small object in the palms   
of her hands. "Which side am I fighting for?  
"I mean--yes--I am a Sailor Scout. I know that. But which side am   
I fighting for? Which side is Tara Yuuichirou fighting for?" She closed   
her aching eyes and let the back of her head touch the wall behind her.   
"Sailor Earth and I just don't get along, I guess. And I don't know   
which part I should follow..."  
Her thinking aloud was interrupted by the sound of a key in a   
lock. Opening her heavy eyelids, she glanced through the thick metal   
bars at the Captain of the Guard. Keimeko sighed and forced a smile. She  
hadn't liked putting the raven-haired teen in a cell for the night, but   
she'd also had no choice in the matter. "You've got a visitor, Sailor   
Earth," she announced, swinging the door open a slight bit.  
The girl held back a gasp as the tall, red-haired man strode into   
the cell, his hands thrust in his pockets. The bars were locked behind   
him.  
"You've done it this time, Tara," Richard commented dryly, pulling  
the single wooden stool up to her cot and seating himself on it. "The   
Scouts aren't going to forgive you, especially if Serenity won't."  
She adverted her gaze, knowing the cobalt eyes behind his glasses  
would do nothing but intimidate her.  
Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair and stared at her. "Look,   
Tara, I know that you're doing this for reasons that and think I won't   
understand, but I also know what you're doing to the other girls." He   
bit his lower lip in thought for a brief second before he continued.   
"Lyra doesn't get upset a lot, and I don't see her in tears much. But   
every time someone says your name..."  
"I KNOW, Richard!" Tara snapped suddenly, lowering her eyes as she  
turned to glare daggers at her companion. Her ears rang with the echoes   
of her own outburst. She took in a shuddering breath. "But I'll be   
damned before I can straight-out say you understand any of this,   
alright?" Her expression was hateful as her stony stare studied his   
face. He was absolutely stoic. "Prince or not, you don't understand..."  
He just shook his head, resting his elbows on his knees as he   
leaned forward to stare into her angry green eyes. "That's what you   
think," he responded calmly, not even blinking at her. "But I find you   
to be mistaken." Her confused expression led a slight grin to touch his   
lips. "Everyone acts out occasionally, Tara," he continued, still   
sending his blue-eyed gaze straight at her face. "And we all have our   
reasons. I can bring myself to understand why you're doing this. I can   
understand you've been hurt..." He paused upon seeing that the word   
'hurt' drew all the color from her cheeks. "But I can't say that I   
understand why you, the religious person you are, stole a car and took   
it speeding down the highway."  
The biting hate in her expression was back within seconds. "How   
the Hell did you get here, you ass?" she growled, her voice no more than  
a low rumble in her chest. "You surely couldn't have just asked to   
come... And there was a battle going on, not too long ago."  
"I was making french-fries," he replied cryptically, rising and   
brushing a bit of lint from his navy school uniform pants. "And it just   
so happens that I keep close watch on all you Scouts."  
"One of the other cats found out and snitched to Cassiopeia,"   
muttered she, irritated.  
He smiled slightly and started for the door. Already, the Captain   
was unlocking the iron bars to let him back out and into the free world.  
"I hope that you find your path in this world, Sailor Earth," Richard   
remarked, his blue eyes seeming to convey more hope for her than his   
words did. "The Sailor Scouts are going to need you again."  
"Someday," she sighed, still staring at him. "But not today..."  
As the bars shut behind him, Tara laid down on the bare wooden cot  
and tucked her hands behind her head, sighing miserably as she stared up  
at the stone ceiling. A tear rolled down one of her cheeks, and she   
didn't know why. But she couldn't bring herself to wipe it away.  
Above her, she knew, the Royal Court and all their servants were   
going about their business. It wasn't too late--only seven or so in the   
evening, maybe earlier--and it was, therefore, safe to assume that the   
Royal Family was meeting with diplomats, exchanging graces, and smiling   
possibly forced smiles to make the world the place it was. And,   
somewhere above her head, Ambriel was no doubt playing with her little   
black kitten... Helios and Reeny were probably holding one another,   
admiring the starscape... Perhaps Serenity and Endymion had quit their   
governing to spend a quiet evening together...  
She gulped back the rising lump in her throat. "Someday, they WILL  
need me," she whispered to herself, her weak voice hardly audible.   
"Someday, soon, I will come back to them.  
"But I can't, not right now. Right now, I must figure out who I   
am. I must understand myself.  
"Richard, perhaps YOU think you understand what I'm going through.  
But I have yet to understand, so how could you? That's a question that  
needs answering."  
She turned her face toward the single barred window, which she   
knew peeked up over the surface of the Earth just slightly. The sun had   
gone down, and a million little stars blinked brightly in the sky. It   
had always surprised her that, in a city like Crystal Tokyo, she could   
still see the stars in the night sky. And they were beautiful...   
Another tear escaped and rolled down her cheek, and she didn't try  
to stop it in its path. "I'm sorry, Scouts," she breathed, clenching   
shut her eyelids. "I'm really sorry..."  
************  
  
She huffed into her upper lip and slowly took the pressure of the   
pedal of her sewing machine. Sky-blue eyes pulled themselves away from   
the long dress she was sewing, sparkling with a certain annoyance that   
could only be the anger of a mother. She glared down at the blonde girl,  
her expression emotionless. But the child shrunk down under that glance   
nonetheless. With eyes like that, there was no need to speak.   
"I'm sorry, Mommy," gulped little Lila, her big brown eyes slowly   
beginning to well up with tears under the positively evil glower she was  
receiving. She pushed a strand of hair from her face. "I just wanted to   
say that there's a kitty here that wants to talk to you..."  
That got the young woman to her feet. "Cassiopeia!" exclaimed   
Mina, striding out of her bedroom quickly, her footfalls echoing through  
the house as she thundered down the stairs. Her youngest daughter   
watched as she left, hardly aware of the man who had come up behind her.   
Andrew furrowed his brow and glanced down at the child. "What's   
this all about?"  
"I don't know," replied the child, glancing up at him with wide,   
confused eyes. "I just told her that there was a cat here..."  
"A cat?" he repeated in disbelief.  
She nodded. "It was funny... Had a little golden star and talked."  
Her father gulped and started toward the stairs.  
************  
  
"What's all this about?" questioned Mina angrily, pacing up and   
down the front porch as the little silver animal sat atop an over-turned  
recycling bin. "You're supposed to CALL, once a week, to check in.   
Coming over is not in the deal!"  
The words rang in her ears, and she could feel her heart beat   
speed up. Still, green eyes remained focused on her own silver paws   
rather than trying to meet the angry blue glare. It made what she had to  
do all that easier.  
Yes. She nodded inwardly. She HAD to do this. She had to do what   
was right. She couldn't hide behind her bluffs and pretend they were   
good intentions. She couldn't force a smile and rattle off the   
intimacies of her friends' relationship. It just didn't work that way.  
Her eyes snapped up and sent a stony glance to the woman. She   
tensed her brow. She took a deep breath. And the words came.  
"I don't want to be your pawn any longer, Mistress Venus."  
Blinking, the woman let her jaw go slack as she stared at the   
lithe animal before her. Her stomach turned over itself within her body.  
She let the tip of a pink tongue dart over dry lips. "Excuse me?" she   
croaked. "What did you say?"  
Cassiopeia felt her resolve start to waver, but she didn't allow   
it to completely crash around her ankles. "Listen to me, Mistress   
Venus," she ventured in a strong tone that seemed to be an ill fit to   
her small form and docile features. "I know that you love Lyra, and--in   
your messed up little mind--I am the best way to protect her." She   
ignored the indignant huff from the woman and paused as two slender arms  
folded across a chest. "But I love Richard and Lyra, and I can't go   
against what I feel is right." She gulped and pressed her eyelids   
closed, afraid that she might start crying. But she was a Guardian. She   
protected those she loved. And she did NOT cry. An inward smile warmed   
her soul. Ara would have been proud to know she thought such a thing.   
"I don't think that what you're having me do is right," she   
continued, trying not to sound overly defensive. "Frankly, I don't think  
that you have a right to nose into your daughter's business. It's a rude  
thing I say, but it's true.  
"I think that Richard and Lyra are young. And in love. And they   
are destined to be so. They'll grow up, get married, and have children--  
just like you and Andrew did. And, sure, they'll make mistakes. But   
wisdom comes from mistakes."  
She hopped down from her perch, still staring up at the   
flabbergasted form of the blonde-haired woman. "And I know that you'll   
forgive both me and them," admired the cat, a slight smile on her face,   
"because you always do."   
Mina was shocked. Her brow bunched in thought as she watched the   
kitten--the Guardian of her daughter--stride across the porch and down   
the driveway. Her hands were shaking and she didn't know why. Slowly,   
she took up the seat on the recycling bin, resting her head in her   
hands.  
"You were using that quiet little soul as a pawn?" questioned   
another voice, and she didn't need to glance up to know whom it came   
from.  
Instead, she closed her eyes and let a soft sigh escape her lips.   
"I didn't think anything of it, originally," she sniffed, her tone very   
solemn. "But it's amazing how well that cat can drive home a point."  
Her companion walked the few steps over to her side, resting a   
soft hand on her shoulder. "Takes after our eldest daughter, I suppose,"  
he chuckled slightly, receiving a stern, annoyed glare in return. He   
sighed. "Mina, you're going to hate me for saying this, but I have to."  
She glanced up at him, wordless, glare melting away.  
"Mina, you were wrong. Completely and utterly WRONG." She scowled,  
and he squeezed her shoulder. "I love you, dear, and nothing will change  
that, no matter what you do and say. But you used that cat for your own   
motives, and I think that she was right in all she said to you."  
The woman blanched, her cheeks draining of all color. "How long   
were you listening in on my conversation?"  
"Long enough," he retorted with a slight bit of merriment in his   
tone. "But, Mina, Lyra's a big girl. She can take care of herself."  
"What would you do if he hurt her?" she growled, angry at him for   
not understand. "What would you do if he did something to her? Or if she  
got pregnant? Or..."  
He leaned against the front window of the house, glancing in on   
two of their sons, both of whom were watching professional wrestling on   
television. "If 'ifs' and 'buts' were candy and nuts, we'd all have a   
wonderful Christmas," he stated, a bit spaced out. She raised an eyebrow  
at him, and he chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's something   
my father used to say a lot," he apologized. "He said it when we were   
worried about POSSIBLE outcomes, instead of letting things happen."   
Andrew bent down and laid a gently butterfly kiss on her forehead.   
"Dear, we've just got to trust in them. Like our parents trusted in us   
when we told them we were going to get married even though you were   
still in college."  
She blushed a bit, remembering how she'd yelled at her parents to   
trust them and how, in the end, they had. Reaching up a hand, Mina   
stroked his soft blonde hair. "Thank you," she whispered softly, her   
blue eyes suddenly very regretful. "I needed someone to flat-out tell me  
that."  
"Yeah, well, the cat started it," he protested, glancing up at the  
night sky and avoiding her gaze.   
Chuckling, Mina smacked him in the stomach.  
************  
  
"And that's what happened," he finished, slightly breathless, as   
he adjusted his position on the coffee table and tried to avoid the   
strange glances he was getting from his parents. "She got all mad at me   
and picked a fight and EVERYthing."  
The two adult cats exchanged glances. They were both quite wary to  
have their little son there, at the Urawa's, in the first place--it was   
late, and he was most likely missed. Still, hearing the tale of how   
cruel his sister had been was...interesting, and they were immediately   
suspicious.  
And Galileo could tell that much.  
"Galileo, tell us the truth," said Orion flatly after a long   
moment of silence. "If I know you--and I do--you did something to MAKE   
her mad."  
He glanced up at the ceiling, red eyes adverting the stony glare   
of his mother. "I didn't do ANYTHING," he insisted, but his voice told   
another story as it wavered.  
Chuckling, the large orange-and-white cat laid down on the coffee   
table and stared at his sun, the golden eyes not missing the act the   
kitten was trying to put on. "You didn't read the printouts that Diana   
sent, and you made up the whole story about not egging her on, right?"  
He blanched and studied the surface of the coffee table intently,   
noticing all the little nicks and scratches he'd never seen before.   
"Well..."  
"Then it's your OWN fault!" his mother shot angrily, staring at   
him as he once again avoided catching himself in that glare of hers.   
She stepped forward and brought her paw across his face without any   
hesitation. He yelped out and hopped backwards, staring right at her.   
Green eyes were lowered angrily in his direction, and he gulped. "You   
have to right this wrong on your own, Galileo!" she hissed, her voice   
low and throaty. "If you don't, then you'll regret it, and you'll lose   
your guardianship, and Peter..." She didn't finish her own sentence,   
but Orb picked up the point and continued for her.  
"The Prophesy had us have all four of you for a reason," he put   
in, his tone more understanding than that of the fiery she-cat. "If you   
don't stay with Peter then, someday, something might happen." He sighed.  
"I don't even know what, and maybe that part of Prophesy won't come   
true, or remains unwritten, but you have to do this."  
Nodding, Orion let some of the hateful sparks fade from her   
forest-colored eyes as she considered her son. He seemed so tiny, still,  
and so afraid. It hurt her to think of the way she'd clouted him. "No   
one knows the future, and no one knows the Prophesy enough to...call,   
if you will...the future before it happens." She shook her head slowly.   
"But you and Peter were meant to be together, just as sure as the red   
sigil of Pluto is tattooed upon your brow."  
Her mate nodded. "And that sigil is better than any symbol I   
shaved on your little head when you were a kitten," he laughed aloud,   
thinking of his antics upon finding that his offspring had been born   
without their marks of guardianship.  
"Well, thank you," Galileo sighed, stretching his short, chubby   
form as he slowly stood. "I suppose you're right."  
"We're your parents," retorted Orb in his normal, laid-back tone.   
"We're ALWAYS right."  
The female cat just shook her head.  
************  
  
"And that's what happened," she sighed, adjusting her seat on the   
warm lap of the young, aqua-haired woman. "He had the gull of not   
reading the important printouts and EVERYthing!"  
The grand piano song rang through the living room of the large   
house as the cat complained about the horrible things her brother had   
done. Every once and a while, the loud rondo would swell to a new level   
of unbearable, and it was all Michelle could do to restrain herself from  
killing her wife. Her blue eyes were focused not on the cat, but on the   
piano.  
"Going to kill her..." mumbled the aqua-haired woman before she   
turned back to the kitten in her lap. "So, Galileo provoked you?" she   
questioned.  
Ara glanced at her paws. "Well..."  
Chuckling, Michelle leaned back, settling into the couch, and   
raised an eyebrow. "If he didn't provoke you, why are you so mad?" She   
stared down at the little animal, wincing only briefly as the banging on  
the piano keys got even louder. She could feel the vibrations as they   
shook floorboards, and the piano was all the way across the room.  
"I guess I'm mad because he doesn't take it seriously," she   
huffed, her lavender eyes studying her feet and the long blue skirt of   
her companion. "I mean, if the Prophesy says that we're to be guardians,  
then--"  
"Maybe he's just not serious enough for your taste," supplied the   
woman, now glaring across the room at the tall, blonde pianist. "I think  
that you take this Guardian role more seriously than he does because   
this is all you have." The kitten grimaced, but Michelle caught the   
brief enlightenment that passed across the creature's face. "You're   
afraid of what might happen if he doesn't be a good Guardian, because   
that would leave you with even less than you already have."  
She wrinkled her little pink nose and managed to gulp back her   
emotions. Of course, being a Guardian was all she had! It was all that   
they were born to have! They weren't made to be happy, like their   
father, or to fall in love, like their parents had, or...or... She   
sniffled and pulled her gaze to search the impassive face of the adult.   
Michelle was still glaring across the room at Alexandra, but--no matter   
how loud and obnoxious the song became--she still had the same amount of  
love and adoration in her features. It was too much for Ara.  
"I wonder what I have done," she sighed miserably, hopping off the  
lap and slowly pacing across the hardwood floor, toward the door. "I   
have driven my brother from home... I have pushed away the only love   
I've ever felt..."  
Pausing in her mad rondo, the blonde woman glanced down at the   
cat. "You can try and make amends, just like everyone does when they   
make a mistake."  
Michelle nodded, but her eyes were suddenly locked with those of   
her wife's. "You were playing too loud, you know," she said softly, a   
smile creeping across her face. "You could hurt the piano..."  
A wolfish grin spread across the pianist's expression. "Save the   
scolding for bed," she winked playfully.   
The cat gagged, disgusted, and nosed the door shut behind her.  
************  
  
"We're needed at the Royal Court?" gasped the longhaired Shinto,   
fingers already flying to the belt of her temple robes before her  
husband could respond. "I don't have a thing to wear! And who's going to  
watch Joshua? That silly girl of ours is still..."  
She was silenced by a sullen glance from the brown-haired man   
across the room. His normally cheery green eyes seemed to have a new   
dimension to them--regret. Or perhaps, it was disappointment. "Maybe   
'court' was the wrong word," Chad sighed sadly, taking a few wary steps   
toward her. "One of the Sailor Scouts is on trial for actions against   
crown and country, and we're requested to go--as Mistress and husband."  
With a chuckle, Raye slowly began to retie robes, smoothing them.   
She started toward the dresser, where her glass beads were awaiting her   
atop the polished wooden surface. "Well, then, that shouldn't be so   
bad," she responded casually, her purple eyes regaining some of their   
lost luster. "I've passed judgement with the other Mistresses at many a   
trial..." She trailed off, pulling her lower lip between two teeth as   
she turned around and stared at him. Her pensive study only lasted a few  
seconds, because it only took her that long to comprehend what was   
happening. "You have to go to?" she managed, nervously clasping the   
beads to her heart.  
He nodded.  
"It's Tara, isn't it?"  
Wordlessly, the man rushed forward and caught his small wife in a   
warm hug, clenching his eyes shut as he felt her lithe form shudder with  
the force of a sob. "Sailor Earth is to be tried for actions against   
crown and country," he whispered, holding back all the feelings that he   
felt welling in his stomach. "All able Mistresses, with Prince Terrence   
standing in the place of Mistress Pluto, and Scouts are to report   
immediately. As well as the father of the...the accused..." He stumbled   
over the last word. It fell hard onto his lips, and he could feel his   
resolve waver. "It begins at exactly noon..."  
"An hour," choked the woman, pulling her face from the front of   
his robes to meet the saddened gaze. "I'll...I'll call Andrew Mokoti and  
see if he can't watch Josh," she managed, her voice weak as she wiped a   
few tears away with the sleeve of her outfit and straightened herself   
out. "Then, I'll transform and we will be on our way..."  
He nodded. "Raye, I just want to remind you that she's our   
daughter."  
She tried desperately not to cry. In fact, she chose to snort   
instead. "Not for long," she muttered, storming out of the temple to   
find their son.  
************  
  
"A crime against crown and country?" she coughed out, staring at   
the bright orb atop her Key Staff. "But that's never happened before!   
Never has a Sailor Scout stooped to that obscene level of low..."  
She was paused from her thoughts by a warm hand clapping her on   
the back. Her bloodred eyes met the friendly, if concerned, gaze of   
Sailor Neptune. "We're done here," she smiled slightly, brushing a   
strand of her own aqua hair from her eyes. "The daimon has been   
defeated."  
Nodding weakly, Sailor Pluto let her fuku fade and be replaced by   
her normal "street" clothes, a purple business suit. Reluctantly, she   
watched her Staff disappear back into null-space. Her heart ached. She   
longed to know which Galactic Sailor had betrayed the trust of the   
others. And she NEEDED to know how the trial would turn out. No doubt,   
with her husband acting in the place of Pluto... She shuddered.  
"You alright, Susan?" questioned a much younger Alexandra Ten'ou,   
thrusting her hands into the pockets of her green school pants. Her   
expression was that of a worried friend, an odd expression, indeed.   
"You were talking about crimes and crowns, which seems a bit out of   
place..."  
The young Michelle Kaioh nodded in agreement with her partner's   
slight quip. "If anything is wrong," she reminded the older woman, "you   
have to tell us. It's important that you don't let yourself get   
overworked about something that can be easily rectified."  
And what if it can't?  
"Thank you, Michelle," smiled the Guardian of Time, trying not to   
seem like the lair she was. "But I'm fine. Besides, the thing I'm   
worried about is minor, nothing compared to the dangers of daimons and   
Dark Messiahs."  
But that wasn't a convincing answer to either of the young women.   
It was plain to the green-haired one that they were still concerned,   
confused... Well, what choice did she have? She was Pluto, and Pluto was  
never completely honest.  
All three of them let the subject drop.  
************  
  
"I have a strange reading, here, that senses all the Scout energy   
at Crystal Palace," stated the young woman, falling onto her back on the  
couch, brown eyes staring up at the text-covered sheet of paper. "But,   
if that's true, then it makes our job too easy."  
"TOO easy?" echoed the giant bird, taking a brief reprieve from   
cleaning his feathers to glance at her. "What are you going to do?"  
Slowly, but with the utmost care, she extracted a small blue   
crystal from her pocket. However, unlike the others she had used in the   
past, this crystal was in the shape of a tiny emu. Norton gasped upon   
seeing it, nervously glancing from the crystal, toward her, and back at   
the tiny object. "Tina..." he warned, taking a step back.  
She sighed and turned it around, twirling it between her fingers.   
"I don't want to do it, you know," she pointed out with a slight frown   
touching her lips. "If I use this, it's complete sacrifice. It's   
irreversible. I'm half me, and half you, and that's it. And if I die,   
you die."  
He gulped. "You do realize that Ginnie didn't ever think you guys  
would use those, right?" he queried, suddenly on edge. "He didn't think   
that you would use those to combine the powers of animal and human."  
"What choice do I have?" she returned, her eyes still attached to   
the little bird figurine. "If I don't do this, that's IT. The end. I   
die, Ginnie dies..." She slowly sat up, taking one wayward glance at   
him. "If I use this, I can kill the Sailor Scouts."  
"And you'll be forever half emu." The bird sighed and shook his   
head. "I don't like it, but I agree with what you just said. There IS no  
choice."  
"Exactly." She tossed the crystal into the air.  
And it shattered.  
************  
  
Footfalls echoed on marble as the five original Galactic Sailors,   
sans Earth, strode quickly down the hallway. Their battle fukus seemed   
to shine in the noonday light, which poured through the enormous windows  
on either side of the girls. They looked intimidating, really, their   
eyes lowered and expressions grim. The telltale clunking of a scabbard   
against a leg didn't help either. It was almost frightening.  
Until Sailor Phoenix spoke. "She's royally done it this time," she  
growled, smashing a fist into the palm of her other hand. "A crime   
against the crown? Ho-boy!"  
"She should know better, too," agreed the blonde Scout beside her.  
"I don't think we can forgive her. Ever."  
"Good," spat Comet with a flip of her long hair. "She deserves   
it."  
"Yes." Aurora Borealis never let her eyes move from studying the   
path before them.  
Surprisingly, Sailor Moon remained completely silent. As the first  
Scout, she led the group, standing her ground at the forefront of the   
procession. But she liked that position for a better reason than being   
the center of attention--  
No one could see her face.  
Sailor Earth, she had decided that morning, was a friend. 'A   
friend in need is a friend, indeed.' Who were they, the other five   
Sailor Scouts, to pass judgement on the last girl? And the Chibi-Scouts   
were allowed to vote on the verdict as well. They were hardly old enough  
to tie their own shoes, and they had a right to vote! It was almost   
laughable.  
Still, resolved Sailor Moon as she set her face to a stony glare,  
the others were decided. It was a majority vote, besides, and Mistress   
Mars was not permitted to pass a judgement. Four angry Galactic Sailors,  
four (presumably) angry Chibi-Scouts, and a group of planetary rulers   
who were bound to see it all the same way. Even her own mother would.   
She knew that much.  
What was the point? One against sixteen? How could anyone win with  
those odds?  
And, with that thought, she threw open the doors to one of Crystal  
Palace's most secret chambers:  
The Crystal Courtroom.  
************  
  
Marble, the purest color of white, shone in the bright sunlight   
that came from the two stained-glass windows. Little patches of color   
danced on the floor. The Galactic Sailors were all taken in by the   
amazing architecture of it.  
The center of the room was empty, the slick marble floor seemingly  
intimidating with its infinite openness. It was all an onlooker could do  
NOT to be slack-jawed. With the patches of colored light from the   
windows glowing on the marble, it was quite a sight.  
On three sides of the room were massive marble tables, almost like  
the judges' "benches" in other courtrooms. Seventeen seats, some   
occupied and others empty, stood behind those tables. From the front of   
each seat hung a small tapestry, embroidered with the symbol of whoever   
was to sit in that particular seat. Stars, moons, and other sigils of   
numerous colors circled the room. It was indeed a sight.  
Near the center of the room was a smaller table, this one without   
the luster or wonder that the others were. It was small and wooden, and   
anyone who would sit behind it would certainly be dwarfed by the massive  
surroundings. Carved into the front of the table were words, written in   
kanji. When translated, it said 'Table of the Accused.'  
The five Galactic Sailors stood in the doorway for a long moment,  
trying desperately to take in the surroundings. They failed at it. No   
words could describe the amazing majesty and beauty of the place. And,   
instead of attempting to do such a thing, they turned to look at the   
present authorities.  
The Mistresses seats were exactly opposite the room of those seats  
of their daughters, seats lined up roughly even. All of the seven people  
wore grim expressions, their colorful gowns and shining armor, in one   
case, eerily bright in the colored sunlight. Only one seat remained  
empty--Mars.  
Much in the same way, the Galactic Sailors had their seats   
arranged. The Chibi-Scouts were late in coming, not a shock to anyone,   
but their seats were just as straight and even as everyone else's were.   
It was a bittersweet sight, all of the beautiful oak chairs lined   
perfectly up, though one would never be occupied on this day. Earth.  
With a sigh, Sailor Moon motioned for them to sit down, and the   
other four girls followed her in line to their places as grand judges.   
In doing so, they passed the upset couple sitting at the Table of the   
Accused, and the pink-haired warrior couldn't help but force a brave   
smile for them. The Mistress of Mars ignored her act of kindness and   
continued to focus on the floor. Her purple eyes were already welled up   
with tears. Well enough they were, noted Sailor Moon, setting her face   
to a stony mask. It will get worse.  
Five teenage warriors took up their seats across from the   
Mistresses, and eyes met. Words unspoken clashed. The silence was almost  
palpable.   
Then, footfalls echoed on marble as the Chibi-Scouts paraded into   
the room. For a moment, they looked much older and wiser than they   
really were. Expressions of grim, wordless anger and sorrow guided their  
demeanor. They seemed almost revengeful as they stormed to their   
separate seats and sat down, their little faces bearing rising above the  
surface of the great table. From her vintage point, Sailor Moon could   
see the Master of Time shift his position to sit on his knees, only to   
receive a pinch on his arm from his twin. She was forced to suppress a   
smile.  
It was not an occasion for smiling.  
"Ladies and Gentlemen, her gracious highness and ruler of the   
whole Earth, Neo-Queen Serenity."   
In strode the Queen, her normally serene face covered by the dull   
pallor of both anger and worry. Her hair hung limply, as though it, too,  
felt the overwhelming depression the day was bringing. Calmly, she   
strode across the room to her seat, which was at a table all her own.   
Smoothing the fabric of her long, white dress, she sat.   
For a moment, nothing moved. It was almost as though time had   
stopped. Sailor Moon even pinched herself to be certain that she was   
still alive and not imagining things. Her breath caught in her throat.  
"Bring out the accused," said Serenity suddenly, and many of the   
judges let out breaths they had not known they were holding.   
Flanked by royal guards, Sailor Earth strode into the room. Her   
expression was glum and honestly saddened. She, as did all the other   
Galactic Sailors, wore her fuku, but her tiara had been removed.   
Removing a tiara was a sign of vulnerability and weakness... It   
represented being incomplete. It was, in essence, showing that she was   
in the wrong.   
Sailor Moon grimaced inwardly and could feel her heart slowly   
start to break.  
"Sailor Earth," addressed Neo-Queen Serenity, trying desperately   
to not glance at the Table of the Accused, lest she lose all of her   
nerve, "you have been accused of crimes against country and crown. Do   
you understand?"  
She looked so small, so helpless, standing alone in the center of   
the large room. The guards had backed away, leaving her plenty of space.  
It seemed as though she did not want anything to do with the room she   
now had; she stood completely motionless, heels scant inches apart, with  
her handcuffed wrists resting limply near the hem of her skirt. She   
looked frightened, like a small child.   
Taking a deep breath, she nodded bravely. "Yes, Your Highness,"   
she managed, her voice nearly cracking as she spoke. "I understand."  
The Queen folded her hands atop the marble table, looking slightly  
pleased by the answer. "I will now inform the group of judges of what   
you have done. You must remember--as must the rest of you--that   
innocence is not a question here." Her azure eyes slowly glanced about,   
trying to read the faces of all her companions. It did not work, even   
with the Chibi-Scouts; as warriors, they had been taught to swallow   
emotion, and they were surely gifted at hiding such feelings. She   
focused back on the girl in the center of the room. "You have already   
been found guilty of these crimes, the question is whether, as a Sailor   
Soldier, you are punishable for what you have done."  
A tear traced its way down the teen's face. She raised her hands   
to wipe it away and then paused, feeling seventeen faces on her. She   
dropped her hands once again, letting the single tear fall from her face  
and onto the tan bow of her fuku. It didn't matter any more.  
Papers shuffled as the Queen of the Earth cleared her throat.   
"Tara Larch Yuuichirou, the daughter of Raye and Chad of the same name,   
was found by Captain Keimeko of the Royal Guard to be speeding down the   
highway in a car late yesterday afternoon. Upon further inspection, it   
was discovered that the car was stolen and that she, along with three   
other girls, had jimmied the ignition to take the car for a short ride."  
She glanced up from the sheets of paper to stare straight down at   
the Sailor Scout in question. All compassion had drained from her   
expression as those blue eyes glowered down at the smaller girl. Sailor   
Earth could feel her knees start to shake.  
"However, this is not the only charge. Sailor Earth has--for   
weeks--been ignoring her call of destiny. This, along with her acting   
out by stealing a car, is punishable in the name of justice.  
"Doing something blatantly stupid is one thing--every person in   
this room is guilty of that simple mistake. Unfortunately for Sailor   
Earth, she does not understand the repercussions of her actions."  
The Queen looked up from the frightened teen to glance around the   
room at the other present judges. "On numerous occasions, the Galactic   
Sailors and the Chibi-Scouts have struggled with defeating adversaries   
that could have been taken care of much more easily than they were. It   
is the opinion of Diana, Orb, and Orion--the three Guardians of the   
Galactic Sailors who sit amongst us--that these monsters would have   
been better handled had the final Galactic Sailor come to the aid of   
her compatriots.   
"This, ladies and gentlemen, is why she is to either be punished   
or pardoned for a crime against crown and country. She has not only   
broken a law of the country, but she has broken a law of destiny."  
Dead silence overtook them all as the warriors, Mistresses, and   
Prince Terrence all sat, motionless. Sailor Earth had, by this time,   
begun to weep softly to herself, but none made a motion to comfort her.   
It was as though they didn't care.  
And, in many ways, they didn't.  
Serenity once again folded her hands, her eyes staring down at the  
crying girl. "Sailor Earth, you may now testify to your actions."  
Her tears stopped as she heard those words. Slowly, Earth lifted   
her head and cast a wary glance up toward her friends. Her heart pounded  
in her chest, and her head ached something miserable. She took a deep,   
ragged breath in through her nose, and let the words come out.  
"I'm sorry," she began weakly, her green eyes pulling away from   
the Galactic Sailors to stare at the ceiling. "I don't know the words   
for how honestly sorry I am, so I suppose that little noun doesn't mean   
so much to you all." She lowered her face and stared straight at the   
Queen. She could guess, from the woman's almost unnoticeable reaction,   
how she must look, her face pale, eyes bloodshot and entire body   
shaking. "I know that the things I did are punishable, and I can't say   
that I was ignorant to that fact before. Blind to it? Possibly.  
"I just..." She closed her tired eyes and tried to remember her   
conversation with Richard. She wondered if Lyra knew about that visit.   
She wondered if, were Richard serving as a judge with the others, she   
would be pardoned. She somehow doubted it.  
Swallowing, she began again. "I just don't know where I belong.   
And no, I'm not trying to excuse myself. I'm trying to make you all  
understand." Her eyes, teary, popped open as she straightened herself to  
glance at each of the judges in turn.  
Terrence, in the place of Pluto.  
"You wouldn't all understand, but I feel lost."  
Mistress Saturn.   
"I know I have a path to follow, as Prophesy has ordained. But   
where exactly is that path?"  
Mistress Uranus.  
"I can't claim ignorance, I know. I am destined to serve country   
and world as a fighter."  
Mistress Neptune.  
"But what's left when you strip that away?"  
Mistress Venus.   
"What do I have when I am no longer Sailor Earth?"  
Mistress Jupiter.  
"I was trying to find out, I think."  
An empty seat, then Mistress Mercury.   
"Don't you all wonder what is left when you are no longer a   
warrior?"  
The Queen.  
"And don't you ache to know what that is?"  
Sailor Chibi-Star.  
"I know that this must sound so...stupid...but I wish I could   
better explain myself."  
The Master of Time.  
"You all want to lead normal lives at least once, don't you?"  
Sailor Chibi-Pluto.  
"I wanted to."  
Angel Moon.  
"I gave up all the things I believed in so I could be a normal   
teenager, just like my friends."  
Sailor Moon.  
"But I was wrong."  
An empty chair. She swallowed. HER chair. Then, Sailor Polaris.  
"I know I'm wrong."  
Sailor Phoenix.  
"But I thought that I was right, once."  
Sailor Aurora Borealis.  
"Maybe that's what made me so lost. Thinking I was right, I mean."  
Sailor Comet.  
"And..."  
She took a deep breath and clenched her eyes shut. What was she   
trying to say, exactly? What did she want to tell them all?  
The words came, and she felt tears come back to her eyes. She   
pulled her eyelids open and stared right at the Queen, unmoving.  
"I was wrong. I know it." She pressed her lips together, hard,   
working up the courage to say what she knew she had to. "But I would   
like to be forgiven for what I have done. I didn't try to hurt anyone,   
or betray the people I love. However, I did what I did and I can't deny   
that."  
A tear streamed down her face. "I guess I'm asking you to think   
not with your warrior minds, but your hearts. Like I did." She raised a   
hand to wipe away the tear, and did so. It was soon replaced by another.  
"And perhaps, in those hearts, you will find forgiveness."  
Queen Serenity nodded toward the girl, without smiling, but the   
mask of hate and anger had worn away the slightest bit. "Now, each of   
you will take the sheet of paper before you, embossed with your symbol,   
and write either 'pardon' or 'punish' upon it. Pardon sets Sailor Earth   
free. Punish will condemn her."  
There was no sound as she stood, alone, staring at the seventeen   
judges of her fate. The soft sound of pencil against paper echoed   
through the room. Her tears fell freely, now, and she knew the truth.  
None would vote pardon.  
Then, the papers were slowly passed down the row to the Queen. In   
the end, the Queen would be the only one to know who voted what. The   
rest would only know the outcome.  
A cold shiver ran up her spine as the first sheet was open.  
This was the end.  
"Punish."  
"Punish."  
"Punish."  
"Punish."  
"Punish."  
"Punish."  
"Punish."  
"Punish."  
"Punish."  
"Punish."  
"Punish."  
"Punish."  
"Punish."  
"Punish."  
"Punish."  
"Punish."  
It came down to the last sheet. Almost painfully, the blonde woman  
opened the sheet.  
"Pardon."  
The word rang in everyone's ears, an almost shocking addition.   
Sailor Earth felt her breath slowly escape through parted lips. A   
pardon...  
Slowly, the Queen of the Earth rose and walked around the tables,   
coming to the center of the room. Her eyes were lowered, almost angrily,  
as she stood beside the young woman.  
"A majority vote was needed."  
Everything froze in the teen's mind. Majority? It had been   
majority? She could feel her stomach churn. In fact, she suddenly felt   
very ill. Clenching her eyelids shut, she tried to hold back all the   
emotions that rushed to overtake her.  
It didn't work. She was crying miserably. She fought with her urge  
to slip to her knees.  
"As Queen of the Earth, my duty is to punish you in the name of   
justice. That is ordained of me. Do you understand?"  
Sailor Earth forced herself to nod. It hardly worked. Her hands   
clenched into fists as she stood before the group.  
"Then, in the name of justice, I punish you. Because of the   
nature of your crime, you must suffer the harshest penalty. This is as   
the law sets down; I cannot change it now, as much as I would like to.   
And I honestly would like to."  
She placed a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder. "I cannot say I   
find this just. I do believe you should be punished, but I find this   
punishment to be far too severe. So be it."  
Spreading her arms wide, Neo-Queen Serenity took a deep breath and  
faced the group of judges. "As you have ordained, Sailor Earth is to be   
punished. From this day forth, she will no longer wear the sigil of   
Earth or the battle fuku of a Sailor Soldier. The law deems it as such:  
"Tara Larch Yuuichirou is no longer a Galactic Sailor."  
There was a searing pain in her heart as, slowly, she pulled open   
her eyes to glare at the Queen. The blonde, angelic adult nodded weakly   
to her and gestured toward the Locket of the Earth.  
She knew what she had to do.  
"WAIT!" screamed Sailor Moon, rising to her feet hastily. Her   
chair clattered to the floor behind her as she smacked her palms on the   
surface of the marble table and leaned forward. "As the Princess of the   
Earth and future ruler of this planet, I demand that you do not take   
these powers from my friend!"  
Hand clasped around her locket, Sailor Earth stared up at the   
pink-haired warrior, eyes wide. An amazed expression crossed her face.  
There had been one pardon, and now she knew from whom.  
"We were all born into this destiny! It was set down before our   
time!" The leader of the Galactic Sailors glared at her mother angrily,   
her face no longer an emotionless mask. "You accused her of breaking a   
law of destiny, and now you are doing the same! Don't you see? Are you   
so blinded by your power?"  
The guards all bristled. The Queen turned to face the teen.  
"Hold your tongue, Serenity," she warned in a low tone, obviously   
displeased with the words from her child. "You are not arguing with me,  
but with the laws I must protect."  
A pained look crossed the young woman's face. She pursed her lips.  
"You said yourself that you don't want to do it. So why?"  
Suddenly, she--Sailor Earth--felt a lump rise in her throat.  
"Because she must," she answered, ignoring the astonished gasps.   
"Destiny has decided that this is my path, and I must walk it. There is  
no other answer." She tightened her grip on her locket and forced a   
smile. "I thank you, Sailor Moon, for being a friend. But there are some  
choices that not even I can make."  
There was a flash of light as the Locket of the Earth was pulled   
from the girl's battle fuku. For the first time in the trial, Mistress   
Mars let out a cry of pure anguish. Ribbons faded into nothingness, and   
a skirt and blouse replaced a fuku.   
Wordlessly, Tara handed the locket to the Queen of Earth. The   
tears flowed freely down her face, and she could not stop them.  
Her path had been seat. Destiny had decided.  
The four guards took her and they exited through a smaller door in  
the back of the room. She would go back to the jail, where her handcuffs  
would be removed and her purse returned. And then, she would be free.  
Suddenly, the door of Crystal Courtroom burst open. Twenty guards,  
all in their white suits strode in, creating a long line. They saluted   
to the Queen.  
Then, Captain Keimeko came through the door and walked past the   
guards and to Serenity. Quickly, she dropped to one knee and clenched a  
hand over her heart. "Serenity guide and teach us."  
"Is something wrong, Captain?" questioned the blonde of the   
orange-haired woman, taking notice of the sword buckled around the   
Captain's waist.  
"Begging your pardon, but yes," responded Keimeko, her tone   
reverent as she climbed to her feet and clasped her arms at her sides.   
Serenity raised an eyebrow. "Well? Out with it; I am in no mood   
for games."  
The Captain of the Guard gulped and pursed her lips. For a brief   
moment, no one dared breathe.  
And then, she sighed.  
"Crystal Palace is under attack."  
************  
  
No "Sailor Says" today. Story got too long. ^_^  
  
-I Know-  
Look around...  
(Ambriel stares down at Tokyo from the top tower of Crystal Palace)  
So many things aren't clear...  
(Aeris and Peter stand before the Gate of Time with terrified   
expressions)  
Don't worry, though...  
(Haley smiles and turns a page in her book)  
You know that I'll be there...  
(Orion and Orb chase after the kittens)  
A lot of things are so uncertain...  
(Tara, near tears, bites her lip)  
The future's on its way...  
(Michelle holds Delaney, an amazed smile on her face)  
Look into my crying eyes...  
(Reeny wipes tears off her cheeks while Serenity watches nervously)  
Don't take your love away!  
(Alice slams the door in her father's face)  
  
Sometimes, the road looks long...  
(Lyra looks up at the North Star)  
And sometimes, the world seems wrong...  
(Phoebe hugs her mother around the waist)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(The six Galactic Sailors hold up their lockets)  
  
Sometimes, you feel weak...  
(Richard grabs onto the wrist of a falling Celeste)  
And sometimes, the future looks bleak...  
(Terrence shakes his head as Sailor Pluto walks through the Gate of Time)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(Ambriel, Celeste, and Aeris all hold up their transformation pens)  
  
Times will change...  
(Tara, robes flying, chases Joshua around the courtyard)  
People will change, too...  
(Haley plays with her now-long hair)  
But deep inside...  
(Helios takes Reeny's hands in his)  
I always will love you...  
(Richard bends down to kiss Lyra)  
I suppose there are questions now...  
(Peter tugs on Terrence's pant leg)  
The answers are so far...  
(Alice and Phoebe dive for a floating sphere and miss)  
But look at me and smile now...  
(Hannah and Brian both smile as Alex takes Delaney into her arms)  
I am your guiding star!  
(Lyra and Richard stare at Celeste and Peter, who are watching the   
sunset)  
  
Sometimes, the road looks long...  
(Lyra looks up at the North Star)  
And sometimes, the world seems wrong...  
(Phoebe hugs her mother around the waist)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(The six Galactic Sailors hold up their lockets)  
  
Sometimes, you feel weak...  
(Richard grabs onto the wrist of a falling Celeste)  
And sometimes, the future looks bleak...  
(Terrence shakes his head as Sailor Pluto walks through the Gate of Time)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(Ambriel, Celeste, and Aeris all hold up their transformation pens)  
  
I know...  
(Chibi-Pluto, the Angel Moon, and Chibi-Star stand together)  
I know...  
(The Galactic Sailors stand together)  
All you need is love...  
(All nine girls stand together)  
All you need...is...love...  
(The Prince and Princess of the Stars kiss)  
************  
Well then? What next? Shall we find out?  
  
By the way, I don't want flames about Tara. You hear me? NO flames.  
  



	11. The Crystal of Illusion

The Crystal Of Illusion  
  
Author's Ramblings: Okay, to pick up where we left off... I swear, if I   
get in any trouble because of the danged thing with Tara, I will come   
after all flamers with a flame-THROWER. I am not trying to sound mean,   
but I know what you're all thinking will end up happening--the end of   
Tara--but trust me, alright?! Jeez!   
-Ambriel uses a line that is blatantly from another anime. Name the   
anime and the person, earn Butler Brownie Points! Heck, I'll even send   
you a cute picture of the Senshi of your choice!-  
-I do not own Joan. Joan owns Joan. But expect a bit of her here-and-  
there to add...spice...to the Galactic party!-  
************  
Last time:  
  
Ara and Galileo got in a fight. Amy and Greg's marriage is over. Ginnie   
made "tasty coffee." Sailor Earth was charged with crimes against crown   
and country and was punished by having her Scout powers revoked.   
Cassiopeia told Mina off for using her as a spy for Richard and Lyra.  
  
And that, my friends, is where the story beings...  
************  
  
"Let's go, Scouts!" exclaimed Sailor Polaris, bolting out of her   
chair almost as soon as the words slipped from Captain Keimeko's lips.   
All eyes turned to her and the other Galactic Sailors as they rose,   
suddenly thirsting for the excitement of battle.   
It was not Serenity but the tall, stocky Captain of the Guard who   
drew to stop them with a raise of her hand. "We cannot have the Galactic  
Sailors risking their lives, it is far too dangerous." Her brown eyes   
sparked with a profound amount of sorrow as she caught the gaze of the   
Princess, Sailor Moon. "We have already lost many men in trying to hold  
this creature back. We cannot lose the children as well."  
There was a clatter of armor as the only man of the room struggled  
to get out of his chair and to his feet. "It's a creature of magic!" he   
roared at the melancholy woman, green eyes angry. "Steal cannot defeat   
the ways of magic, as every soldier knows!" He gestured hastily toward   
the women who sat in his row. "These six will tell you the same!   
Serenity will tell you the same!"  
"Terence!" shot the Queen angrily, her ponytails whipping through   
the air as she turned to glare daggers at him. "You have no right to   
speak on the behalf of the Mistresses or myself!" Her blue eyes lowered   
further. "You are here in the place of Mistress Pluto, and I am certain   
that, were she here, she would understand the Captain's logic."  
A little girl, only looking seven years of age, slowly stepped   
forward, her normally colorful eyes a dark, foreboding tone of black as   
she glanced at the Queen of the Earth. Then, still without words, she   
blinked.  
The eyes turned red, just like her mother's.  
"Mistress Pluto, the Guardian of Time, has departed to the past,"   
she stated, as though no one in the room knew. She stared at the   
beautiful Queen, almost smiling and the slight worry lines around the   
pursed lips of the woman. "Do you trust the judgement of the Guardian of  
Time?"  
Furrowing her brow, Serenity stared at the small girl. "Excuse   
me?" The question was repeated, more slowly than before, and she managed  
a weak sigh and a nod. "More than anything, I respect the opinions of   
Pluto."  
A smile sprung across the girl's face, an odd event. "It is   
written that only one person has the right to stand in for the Guardian   
of Time," she told the room, pulling her Key Staff from null-space and   
leaning up against it. "And that is the heiress of Time; her daughter."  
Everyone gaped at the girl as she let the smile slowly fade. The   
stony expression that they all recognized once again cemented in place   
before she spoke.  
"And, as the Guardian of Time in place of my mother, I agree with   
Terrence." Sailor Chibi-Pluto pulled her gaze form the Queen and focused  
it instead on Captain Keimeko. The woman was nervously running her   
fingers through her low orange ponytail, obviously apprehensive about   
the entire situation. It nearly brought a second smile to the child's   
face.   
"Captain, the ways of the sword are powerful," she assured the   
adult pleasantly. "But they do not stand a chance against the powers of   
sorcery. And we, as the ready warriors, must use both." She pointed   
toward Sailor Moon, who immediately recognized that finger to not be   
focused on her as much as the Moon Saber. "And we must fight alongside   
your men and women. It is the way of the Sailor Soldier."  
A devious, if not happy, smile crossed her small face as she   
turned back toward the Queen. "Now, Your Highness, I have a plan if you   
would like it."  
Rubbing the bridge of her nose gently, the blonde Queen glanced at  
the child, annoyed expression not missed by any of the people in the   
room.   
"It's been an odd day," she sighed, resting her fists on her hips   
and gazing down at the temporary Guardian of Time. "And I suppose it's   
going to get odder."  
Sailor Chibi-Pluto's devious grin was replaced by a proud one.  
************  
  
"I don't BELIEVE him," she grumbled, resting her forehead in one   
hand as the other flipped the pages in a rather thick volume of   
Elysionian history. "He runs off to Earth and sends ME on a wild goose   
chase for something that probably doesn't exist!" She gripped a few sky-  
blue tresses in annoyance. Her expression was pained.   
There was a gentle knock at the door and she jumped involuntarily,  
yelping as she accidentally pulled her own long hair.   
A young man, probably only twenty years old, poked his head   
through the doorway, smiling pleasantly at her. "Mistress Abigail?"  
She immediately thought of thirty ways she could kill the man   
without rising, but she pushed them from her mind. Still, the icy glaze   
in her silver eyes proved her annoyance, and she relished in the fact   
that his smile slipped quickly from his face.  
"Yes, Brice?" she questioned, faking a smile as she rose and   
smoothed her long white robes over her hips. "Have you found any   
references to this crystal that Master invented?"  
He gulped, still frightened by the coldness in her eyes, but   
managed a weak nod. Walking into the room, he deposited a large, water-  
stained book on her desk and flipped quickly through it. "Oh, Mistress   
Abigail, you will NOT believe this!"  
Leaning against the wall, her eyes staring out the window at the   
lush, thick forests that surrounded the Keep of the Priests, she sighed.  
"Really?" she questioned half-heartedly, rubbing her sore elbow idly.   
She HAD been leaning on it too long.  
She was at a distinct disadvantage, she had decided that morning.   
The only Priestess their Master had allowed in the Keep, she was already  
one thin ice with half the younger priests. She'd rose the ranks so much  
faster than they did, that they expected that she'd 'charmed' the Master  
into it. No such luck, of course, because he pined for that Maiden of   
his; Abigail's success had been pure and decent, unlike the foul play   
the priests had attempted to use... She chuckled inwardly.  
And, soon, she would finally be able to complete her mission. She   
would finally be able to show them all why she had risen so quickly.   
Destiny had determined that already.  
"Mistress?" asked Brice, resting a gentle hand on her shoulder.   
Gasping, the young woman smiled at him, not entirely forcing the   
reaction, and nodded. He, face already ashen, pursed his pink lips.   
"Mistress, I have found what you wanted me to find."  
She followed him to the thick tome, both of them leaning over the   
pages so he could point out the correct references. It was in   
Lunatarian, not a language she was completely familiar with, and she   
strained her eyes to read the tiny handwriting.  
Running a hand through his shaggy moss-colored hair, the young man  
stifled a gulp. "There." His finger jabbed at a paragraph.  
There was no sound as silver eyes crossed the page. Then, she   
gasped. All color drained from Abigail's face as she glanced doubtfully   
at Brice. She even reread the section. Nothing could hide her surprise   
as she stared at the book.  
"There's such a crystal in existence?"  
"So says Selene's histories of the galaxy," responded the young   
man in a soft tone. "She was the first Lunatarian queen, and..."  
Nodding weakly, the woman glanced at him, her eyes large and full   
of concern. "I want you to send the lower priests and all their first   
year students to the vaults at Master's mansion and see if you cannot   
find more histories with this crystal in it." She took in a deep,   
shuddering breath and took a parting look at the words before her before  
slamming the book shut. "Then, once that is finished, you and I are   
going to try and send a message to the Master."  
Hesitantly, he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Abigail, we've been  
friends since you came here. Are you alright?"  
She immediately turned on him. "No! I'm not!" She clenched her   
fists. "That crystal can END the universe if Ginnie uses it right!" Her   
tone hushed as she caught the hurt look on his face. She sighed and   
walked around her desk, collapsing into her seat and burying her head in  
her hands. There was a shuffle of paper as her companion, her friend,   
took his book and started to the door.  
"Wait..." Raising her face, she forced a smile and wiped away her   
tears. "I'm sorry I snapped at you, but..." She took a deep breath.  
"Brice, this could be the end of the galaxy as we know it. We must  
tell Master as soon as we're able."  
All he could do was nod.  
************  
  
The Galactic Sailors and the Mistresses stood in two single-file   
lines at the gate of the giant wall that surrounded the Palace, flanked   
by soldiers and Royal Guard members on each side. The seven women and   
the nine children all wore emotionless expressions as they stood in   
place, watching the giant creature attack the quartz wall. Its pursuits   
did little more than char some of the sections of the barrier, and other  
than that, it remained steadfast in its place.  
Sailor Phoenix's slender fingers speed across the keys of the   
Mercury computer as she stared at the monster, her mother's data goggles  
scanning over the monster. The rest of the warriors, whether they be the  
Mistresses, Galactic Sailors, or Chibi-Scouts, watched in amazement as   
the giant thing breathed fire.  
And it was an amazing creature. No bigger than a typical emu-  
monster, it had the arms and feet of a human being but the body and neck  
of an emu. Feathers covered all of the body, including the human   
features, and the face seemed to share qualities of both species. It was  
a terrible sight, but also an awesome thing to behold.  
Suddenly, the computer beeped, and Phoenix pulled the visor from   
her face and glanced at the others. "She was right," she announced,   
letting out a long breath that she'd been holding. "Half-human, half-  
monster, just like the others have been before."  
"Are you sure this will work, Chibi-Pluto?" asked the Mistress of   
Jupiter softly, her emerald eyes staring down the child who was leading   
all of the Galactic Sailors in lieu of Sailor Moon. "It's a lot to put   
on the line..."  
She was silenced by a hardened glare from the small leader. "It   
will either work or it will not," she responded coolly, gripping her   
Time Key more tightly than before.   
The Mistresses exchanged wary glances.  
"Whatever happens," vowed Sailor Moon suddenly, her fist clapped   
over her heart as she started at the monster from her vintage point at   
the back of the line, "we will either save the world or die trying."  
Everyone nodded.  
"Mistresses, set!" screamed Chibi-Pluto, raising her Key in the   
air as she spoke. "Ready..."  
The seven women, their velvet gowns sparkling in the bright   
noonday sun, took deep breaths.   
It was time. Destiny awaited.  
"GO!"  
Rushing out into the open, the soldiers surrounding them drawing   
swords and hollering obscenities, the Planet Mistresses stared up at the  
giant creature. They were easily dwarfed by both the monster and its   
shadow, but that did not stop them. They stood tall, vigilant, and   
linked hands quickly.  
Human eyes, large and chestnut-colored, glanced down at the women.  
A small smile snaked across the human mouth and feathery face.   
Suddenly, white light erupted from the women. Slowly,   
deliberately, a bright shield appeared right in front of themselves,   
blocking any attack that the creature might throw. The barrier was as   
tall as the wall, if not taller.  
The monster roared, trying to use its breath of fire to break down  
the shield. Smoke poured from its mouth, but not fire.  
By then, the emu-person realized that the shield did not only   
protect the seven Mistresses and the gate behind them, but also sucked   
the powers straight out of its mouth. It roared in agony and tried once   
again. Nothing.  
A frightful call went up from behind the white, sheen surface.   
"Sailor Scouts, GO!"  
Eight girls, ranging from ages nineteen to about five, and one   
little boy suddenly raced out form behind the Mistresses. Sailor battle   
fukus blew in the wind as, one by one, they all set up for their   
attacks.   
The monster was not, by any means, stupid. It knew what was about   
to occur, and stumbled backward.  
But it was too late. The girls (and one boy) were already shouting  
attacks in rapid-fire order, too quick and accurate to be dodged.  
Roaring, writhing, the creature fell to its knees. Tears streamed   
down its feather-covered cheeks as it stared at the young warriors and   
their predecessors. The white shield slowly faded into nothingness as   
the emu-human hybrid collapsed onto its front. The tears still fell.  
And then, it spoke.  
"Please... Don't kill me..." It begged, clenching the brown eyes   
shut as it whispered to the last girl, the one with the drawn sword.   
"I'm sorry..."  
Phoenix gasped. "It's Tina!" she announced, her jaw dropping open   
as she stared. "It's got to be! She's the one with the bird-monsters as   
it is!"  
The other Scouts all glanced at her, unable to speak. They were   
absolutely shocked.  
Rolling her green eyes, the Mistress of Uranus freed her Space   
Sword from its invisible scabbard in null-space and took a long step   
forward. "If you won't," she growled, sending a steady, stern glance to   
the leader of the Galactic Sailors, "then I will."  
"No." Sailor Moon breathed in through her nose and then exhaled   
quickly before taking one last step toward the monster. A cool wind blew  
through the area, and her pigtails billowed out behind her. She sighed   
and pointed the tip of the silver blade straight toward what had once   
been Tina. "This is something that I must do, as the bringer of   
destiny."  
She closed her eyes and focused her energy into the sword.  
"Moon...Saber...Illumination..."  
The emu-human roared out in pain and then, slowly, crumbled to a   
pile of dust. Nothing moved for a moment.  
And then, there was a glow of orange. A small orb, about the size   
and shape of an egg, descended from the Heavens and floated above the   
dust. For a few seconds, it remained motionless, as though it was   
looking the pile over as part of an inspection.   
Then the dust and the orange ball both blinked out of existence.  
A cheer went up from the surrounding Royal Guard members and the   
Japanese soldiers. A cheer which was, of course, aimed at the Scouts and  
Mistresses.  
Her red gown blowing in the wind, she was the only one not to   
smile.  
Instead, high-heeled shoes echoing on the pavement, she started   
almost reluctantly down the street, her long hair flapping behind her.  
"Wait! Mistress Mars!" called Sailor Polaris, gulping as she   
watched the mother of her 'lost' friend beat her hasty retreat. "Where   
are you going?"  
Teary-eyed, the adult turned around to gaze at the short, curly-  
haired Sailor Scout. Her face was a mask of iron, just as she and all   
the others had been taught, but her fierce purple eyes hid nothing.   
Behind the young woman and the saddened adult, the other   
Mistresses exchanged hugs with their daughters. Mercury and Phoenix were  
alongside the Pluto twins, analyzing the energy levels that the dust and  
orange glowing had left in their wake. Sailor Moon and Saturn seemed to   
be talking about something personal, and were having a good time of it.   
Mistress Venus, Sailor Chibi-Star, and the young Master of Time were all  
busying themselves in a discussion as Angel Moon stood by, occasionally   
chiming in. Aurora Borealis, Uranus, and Jupiter were all talking about   
something interesting, and the young woman was bright red. And Neptune   
and Comet were just smiling at one another.  
Sighing, the Mistress of Fire wiped away the tears and set her   
mask back as it had been. "I'm going home to the daughter. The one who   
betrayed us all, in case you've forgotten about her." She saw the hurt   
spark in the eyes of the blonde, but she couldn't feel guilt. "Goodbye."  
Sailor Polaris' ponytail blew in the breeze as she watched the   
woman go.  
************  
  
Evil Queen Ginnie slowly strode down the hall, holding her nose as  
she walked. Her lips were curled in a sneer as she quickly punched the   
green open button on the wall. It flashed at her briefly, and then the   
door slid quickly slid open.  
Her boots echoed through the large 'stables,' as Tina called them,  
but she ignored the noise she was making and crossed right to the small   
room that Norton usually occupied.   
She didn't need to look at the fallen body of the giant emu to   
know he was dead. The stank had radiated throughout the darkened palace   
from about noon that day. It was nearly seven, now.  
"Kevin!" she called out, cupping her hands to the sides of her   
mouth as she spoke. "Arthur and Rob! Come and clean this mess up!"  
Her voice reverberated through the darkened stable and rang in her  
own ears. Suddenly, she dropped her hands and held back the strong   
depression that welled in her heart.  
She was alone.  
************  
  
"Abigail, how nice to see you," sighed the silver-haired man,   
folding his hands in his lap as he spoke. The sound of a girl laughing   
and a woman yelling echoed through the large chamber he was in, and a   
stressed expression crossed his face. "But I have pressing matters to   
attend to, so..."  
Sighing, the young woman rested her elbows on the surface of her   
large desk, bright eyes staring directly at her Master. Even though the   
contact was only through a hologram, the glance put the young man on   
edge. It was rare that the priestess, Elysion's first, shot anyone such   
an annoyed, angry glance. It was enough to send shivers up his spine.  
The younger man, probably only twenty years old, sat beside   
Abigail. His messy greenish-brown tresses hung into deep brown eyes as   
he looked through the hologram and at his Master, the high priest of   
Elysion. "It's my fault, sir," he stated nervously, clasping his hands   
together and trying to act as adult as I possibly can. "I was going   
through a history of the galaxy and found..."  
"Helios-papa, what's that?" questioned a little voice, and both   
Elysion residents raised eyebrows as a little girl with long red hair   
popped into view. Helios scowled as she grinned and waved. "Hey! Who are  
you?"  
Her silver-haired 'papa' tried to push her away, blue eyes   
narrowing at her. "Ambriel! Doesn't your mother want you?"  
"I'm Ambry!" announced the child merrily, flashing a peace sign   
toward the two people beyond the hologram. "How are you talking? What's   
this dish?"  
A loud, feminine voice screamed out the girl's name, and a woman   
rushed forward. Pink, cone-shaped buns perched high on her head, and   
pigtails fell from these buns to the floor. She reached forward and   
seized the child by the hand, her red eyes angry. "Helios is trying to   
make a call to Elysion, and you're bothering him!" she scolded, tugging   
on the girl's arms and nearly tripping over the hem of her long white   
gown. "It's bath time!"  
Pouting, the little girl harrumphed and allowed herself to be   
dragged away by the young woman. Letting out a sigh, the Master of   
Elysion watched them leave. "And you were saying?"   
Abigail, who was holding back a chuckle by this point, let her   
smile fade from her lips and sighed miserably. "This is Brice," she   
introduced, gesturing to the young man beside her. He bowed his head   
reverently. "He is a second level priest."  
"Impressive," drawled Helios, leaning back in his seat and resting  
his chin in a hand. "And I suppose that something important has   
happened?"  
"Selene once wrote a history of the galaxy," Brice informed the   
man in a soft voice. "And, within this history, was the tale of the   
Crystal of Illusion. The crystal that now belongs to the Queen of   
Darkness, Ginnie."  
Slack-jawed, the young man on the other side of the hologram   
gulped and glanced at the two priests of his world. "And?"  
Brushing a strand of sky-colored hair from her deep eyes, the   
woman fiddled with a sleeve of her white robes, adverting eye contact.   
"The Lunatarian translation leaves much to be desired, Master, and it is  
rather amazing that, between both Brice and myself, we were able to   
deceiver it... But we could be wrong..."  
Helios felt a shiver run up his spine. He'd known that woman, who   
was now the most powerful person in Elysion, since she was a toddler.   
And, in all those years, he'd never seen her afraid.  
Until now.  
"Is it that bad?" he managed, the color draining from his face as   
he pursed his lips. "Have you inquired the translations from the nuns   
and other scholars in my library? Have you checked with the Abbess and   
Abbot? Have you done it all?"  
She nodded weakly, her voice coming in a shaky whisper. "We have   
sent all priests of the fourth, fifth, and sixth level down to the   
vaults to search for more. We have sent students do the same. Nothing   
rebukes what we have found."  
"We are waiting for the final translations," put in Brice in a   
hopeful tone, forcing a smile. "But it looks as though we're right on   
this. Not that we want to be."  
"And?"   
Taking a deep breath, Abigail, a first-level priestess and the   
first female to ever set foot in the Keep of the Priests, closed her   
eyes and pressed her lips together. "This crystal is called the Crystal   
of Illusion. It was created to bring one's deepest, most powerful wish   
into existence." She sighed. "There are words of power that must be   
used, and no one living knows these words. Or so it is written.  
"But, if Queen Ginnie has obtained the words, all she needs is the  
Crystal."  
He felt his resolve waver. Weakly, he leaned forward and rested   
his elbows on his own desk, burying his hands in his hair as he stared   
at the desktop. "Then, there is nothing we can do," he finally said   
after a pause that seemed to last for an eternity. "The Earth is to be   
destroyed as soon as the Crystal returns. The Sailor Scouts cannot   
help."  
Abigail, biting back tears, nodded.  
But Brice did not. Enlightenment dawned on his face as he slammed   
a fist down on the table. "But if someone with a PURE heart uses the   
Crystal, their darkest wish will not be evil!" he announced rather   
loudly. The other two glanced at him in annoyance, but he remained   
determined. "If the Sailor Scouts can find the Crystal, then one of   
them can use it and bring out their worst, which would be for the best!"  
Putting a hand on his forearm, the priestess shook her head   
slowly. "I know you're just as upset as the rest of us, but you have to   
look at this the right way..."  
"I think he has a point," responded Helios pensively, his tone   
soft as he spoke. "The Chibi-Scouts, four children, are quite innocent   
and pure. If they were to find the Crystal, we might be able to invoke   
the powers of the Crystal before Ginnie does."  
"That is, of course, assuming she does not have the Crystal   
already," chimed in another voice, and the pink-haired one was back,   
settling herself onto the arm of her prince's chair. "But I'm sure she   
doesn't."  
Both of the Elysionian priests lowered their heads devoutly toward  
the woman. "Princess Serenity," they both greeted, eyes studying   
everything but the face of the newcomer. "We are humbled in your light."  
She rolled red eyes and snorted. "Oh, stop it," she commanded,   
annoyed. "I'm not much of a Princess, as it is." They both glanced up   
but she could see, even through the hologram, that they were weary of   
making eye contact with a Princess. She sighed. "The name is Reeny."  
"Pr... Reeny," stumbled Abigail nervously, her silver eyes   
reluctantly meeting the gaze of the beautiful Princess before her, "why   
do you think that this is true?"  
"It keeps appearing in Tokyo," she responded casually, running a   
hand through Helios' hair as she spoke. "It did even today, when the   
Galactic Sailors defeated yet another minion of the Evil Queen. I think   
we can catch it."  
There was silence as the duo in Elysion exchanged silent words.   
The Princess of the Earth sighed and leaned closer to her Prince, who   
responded by taking one of her small hands and giving it a reassuring   
squeeze.   
Then, the High Priestess of Elysion rose to her feet quickly, the   
lower-level priest following her movement. "I hope that the Galactic   
Sailors find the crystal before Ginnie does, in that case," she stated   
with a slight bow. "I will gather the nuns and Abbess and try to aid   
your quest from here."  
"And I'll do the same with the Abbot and the monks," put in Brice   
helpfully, running a hand through his shaggy hair. "Between two worlds,   
we will defeat this Queen and save the Earth."  
With a slight smile touching his lips, Helios leaned forward and   
stared directly at the young priest. "Brice, when we finally have the   
galaxy safe from harm, I will advance you to the rank of first priest   
and you'll be able to rule Elysion at Abigail's side."  
The young man blushed and quickly began to babble his thanks.   
Reeny stifled a giggle at his antics, and the amused smile on the   
priestess' face was unmistakable.  
"Good luck, Sailor Moon," smiled the woman of Elysion. "I hope the  
Galactic Sailors succeed."  
"So do I."  
Switching off the small dish atop the desk, Abigail sighed and   
leaned her hands on the cool wooden surface, staring across the room at   
the doorway. "Will they really be able to do it?" she questioned warily,  
picking up one hand to bury it in her mane of sky-blue tresses. "Or will  
Ginnie find the crystal and someday be able to rule the world?"  
Brice laid a hand on her shoulder, trying to hold a smile on his   
face. "I'm sure that they'll do the most they can," he replied, trying   
to hold back the nervousness in his tone. "They've done a good job up   
until now."  
Abigail just nodded, not saying a word, before bursting into   
tears.  
************  
  
"A Crystal of Illusion," breathed the child, resting her chin on   
the fluffy pillows as she stared at her headboard, gray eyes worried. "I  
wonder what it all means..."  
The kitten, who was curled into a tight ball beside her, opened a   
single blue eye. "What in the world are you talking about?" she asked   
sleepily, staring at her small charge. "You're never like this."  
Without responding, the girl slid out of bed, crossing to her   
vanity and pulling the many small, white bows from her hair. "I have GOT  
to tell Aeris and Peter," she stated, fumbling with one of the ribbons   
as she spoke. "They have to know about this..."  
"Whoa!" protested the cat, jumping up and padding across the cold   
marble floor to glare at the redheaded girl with tired eyes. "It's past   
midnight! You can't very well sneak out of Crystal Palace and walk all   
the way to the Ten'ou house!" Her argument did little good, for the   
child had already pulled off her nightgown and was now tugging on a   
white blouse. "You'll get both me AND Diana AND probably Lisa in trouble  
with your Mama!"  
Sighing, Ambriel slipped on a blue jumper over her blouse and   
zipped it up slowly. "If you're not with me, that's fine," she stated,   
sitting on the floor to put socks on her small feet. "But I have to do   
this, Carina, with or without you."  
The Guardian growled and hopped between the girl's legs, watching   
nervously as small black shoes were buckled over the thin anklets.   
"PLEASE, Ambry, think this through!" she stressed, her blue eyes bright   
and worried as she spoke. Moonlight reflected off the silver marking   
atop her brow, and caught the child's attention for a brief second. "You  
could get hurt, wandering through downtown Tokyo at night!"  
With a slight chuckle, she patted the animal's head and stood,   
tucking her transformation wand away in a pocket. "I'll be fine, Carina.  
You worry too much." She sighed and turned her face skyward, staring out  
of the skylight and at the great white orb that was the moon. Her slight  
smile faded as she breathed in a long breath.  
"Good Serenity, protect me," she whispered. "Good Mother, look   
down on me."  
And, with that, she started out the door.  
Carina watched as the oak barrier was gently shut, and a scowl   
immediately appeared on the small animal's features. "I'm toast," she   
grumbled. "Definitely."  
************  
  
Ring.  
She groaned and pulled her wife's pillow over her ears. It wasn't   
even one in the morning.  
Ring.  
"Get that," grumbled the aqua-haired musician, half-asleep as she   
snatched her pillow back and rolled over.   
Ring.  
The blonde made a face. "Make me."  
Ring.  
"Do you want a 'scolding' tomorrow night or NOT, Alex?"  
Climbing from her bed, the world famous F1 racer Alexandra Ten'ou   
wondered why she had ever gotten married. Casting one last, long glance   
at the sleeping woman, she grabbed the cordless receiver from her   
dresser and barked into it.  
"Good morning."  
The voice on the other end was frantic. "Mistress Uranus? Is that   
you, Mistress?"  
Her brow furrowed as she stared down at the odd number on her   
caller ID. "How do you know who I am?" she questioned gruffly,   
unconsciously searching null-space for her sword with her free hand. "I   
don't like games and--"  
"This is Lisa Warner, personal handmaiden of the Princess," the   
woman on the other end quickly responded before she could upset the   
Mistress any more than she already had. "I have been informed that   
Ambriel Chiba--Angel Moon--is on her way to your house to find Aeris and  
Peter."  
Alex bristled. "By herself? In the dark?"  
"She's a head-strong girl," sighed Lisa from the other end of the   
phone, voice concerned. "I fear for her."  
Grabbing her car keys and Mistress beads, the blonde nodded to   
herself. "I'll go find the child," she replied, "and bring her here for   
the night."  
The woman on the other end of the phone line breathed a sigh of   
relief at the Mistress' words. "Thank you," she smiled slightly. "The   
Royal Family is in debt to you."  
"I know," chuckled the blonde, tossing on sweatshirt over the   
ratty tank top she wore as pajamas. "But most of that debt has nothing   
to do with Ambriel."  
************  
  
With a yawn, she rested her chin atop a fist and tried desperately  
to keep her eyes open. The professor in the front of the room drawled on  
about economics and other things she found unimportant. She was a   
Princess. Since when did Princesses need to know about economic theories  
and principals?  
She felt her head start to bob and sat straight up. Five minutes   
left, she told herself with a glance at the clock. Five minutes.   
Brushing a pink tress from her face, she glanced down at her notebook.   
Little Galactic Sailors chased a ball around the page, leaving room for   
notes in the middle. She sighed and sketched a rose flying from the   
Starlit Prince's hand. What a way to spend a perfectly fine spring   
Monday...  
"I'll let you all out early today," announced the man in the front  
of the room, leaning against the edge of his desk as he spoke. Some of   
the students cheered, and there was a bustle of activity. He cleared his  
throat, and they all froze. "But, I need to see two students: Serenity   
Chiba and Richard Umino."  
The two 'chosen' students paled noticeably as soon as the balding   
man said this, and Reeny almost dropped her notebook on the floor. Why   
in the world did THEY--  
"Class dismissed."  
--have to stay after? Why in the world did SHE have to stay after?  
That was a better question.  
After running a hand through his red hair, Richard gathered up his  
belongings and started down toward the desk, shooting the young woman a   
confused, doubtful look. She ignored him and indignantly stuck her nose   
in the air, annoyed. He sighed.   
With a smile, the Professor waited until both students were in   
front of the room, standing straight and tall just as they had been   
taught in grade school, before him. "Good morning, Serenity. Richard."   
The pink-haired one clenched her fists further around the handle of her   
schoolbag as he used her formal name. The annoyance in her expression   
and, more obviously, in her bright red eyes was hard to miss. The man   
wiped the smile from his face. "Can I ask why the both of you miss so   
much school?"  
Slightly tossing of her head, the young woman shot him a bright,   
sweet smile. "I'm the Princess of the Earth!" she responded cheerily,   
"and I have work I must do at the Palace, Professor Johnson!"  
"Work that cannot possibly wait for two hours on Mondays,   
Thursdays, and Saturdays?"  
She gulped and felt a small blush creep across her cheeks. Her   
eyes immediately flew to the floor and she began to study her shoes.  
Richard rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly feeling very guilty.  
"I...uhh..." He managed a weak smile. "Would you believe that I'm a   
prince?"  
"No." The professor of business did not look amused.  
Sighing, he pursed his lips for a long moment, trying to think of   
a clever retort... Or, if not a clever retort, just a plausible retort.   
Nothing came to mind.  
He held his head high. Time for truth.  
"Professor Johnson," he said bravely, blue eyes staring directly   
at the round, slightly bald man, "I need you to hold what I'm about to   
tell you in the highest regard. And I need you to keep it a secret."  
Johnson raised an eyebrow. Reeny, who knew what was coming,   
pinched her companion hard, catching the delicate flesh on his upper arm  
between two fingernails. Amazingly, he didn't flinch or yell up, but   
instead just pushed her arm away.   
"I am the Starlit Prince," he revealed with a daring smile,   
adjusting his grip on his bag as he watched the professor's eyes widen.   
"And Reeny here is Sailor Moon. We miss school because we fight for love  
and justice alongside the other Sailor Scouts."  
There was a long pause as the man took in the statement of his   
student. Richard gulped and became increasingly nervous as he was stared  
at by the adult. The young woman had already lost all the color in her   
face and was now staring, shocked, at their teacher. The man in the   
front of the room, however, did something unexpected.  
He burst out laughing.  
"Mister Umino," Johnson chortled after a long moment of loud   
guffaws, "I have taught at this college for well over twenty years, and   
that is, by FAR, the most original excuse I have ever heard!" He wiped   
tears from his eyes and held back another outburst of chuckles. "You're   
the Starlit Prince and SHE'S Sailor Moon!" He began to laugh again.  
From his spot, staring at the amused man, Richard could hear Reeny  
let out a long sigh of relief. He didn't move, though, too shocked by   
the reaction that the truth had elicited.  
"Well, I wanted to give you both this," the professor finally said  
after all his laughter had subsided, drawing two packets of paper from   
atop the desk. He handed one to each of the students, who just stared   
down at the papers.  
The pink-haired one brushed a pigtail from her shoulder and stared  
down at the packet. "The spending and gains of the typical college   
student for one month?" she gasped, reading the title. "I can't possibly  
do this project!"  
Johnson smiled. Richard KNEW what he was getting at.  
"I figured that much, because you're the Princess of the Earth,   
after all," the teacher replied, leaning against the desk as he spoke.   
"That's why I paired you up with another student."  
She glanced at the young man beside her. He blanched.  
Then, there was an outburst of arguments.  
"I can't work with HIM!"  
"Professor, I have an...interesting...living arrangement and I   
already pay for two people!"  
"He's living with his GIRLFRIEND, that's what!"  
"Don't use that tone! You're talking about Lyra, you know!"  
"I can use 'that tone'! I'm the Princess!"  
"She's one of your best friends!"  
"So?"  
"How could you talk about her like that?"  
"I'm not! I just said that she's your GIRLFRIEND!"  
"There you go again!"  
"What?"  
They were halted from their fighting by the sound of someone   
clearing a throat. Both college students turned to glance at their   
teacher. Blushes crept across both of their faces as they avoided each   
other's glances and turned to the teacher.  
"I understand that this could be...interesting..." he stated,   
observing both of the students with his dark blue eyes, "but you do not   
have to live together or anything of the kind." Turning to the young   
man, he watched as Richard nervously stared at the ceiling. "Does your   
girlfriend usually help with finances?"  
Reeny snorted and tossed her head. He nodded.  
Johnson clapped his hands together. "Then it's settled! For one   
month, when...Lyra, was it?" He received a nod. "Alright. For a month,   
when Lyra is going to help with finances, you have to say no and have   
Serenity here do it." He turned to the Princess. "What says you?"  
She wrinkled her nose. "This is stupid."  
"This is a fourth of your semester grade."  
The answer, then, was obvious.  
************  
  
"At least I have YOU, my dear creature of the night," she purred,   
stroking the neon-green skin of her frog lovingly. Brown eyes were   
filled with unshed tears as she sat in the large, black-marble throne,   
her dark hair rimming her face as she stared down at the small creature   
in her hands. "You will make my dreams come true, won't you, Norbert?"  
The frog croaked loudly, black eyes staring up at her without   
comprehension.  
Ginnie, Queen of Darkness, slumped back in her seat, staring out   
across the throne room. It was a large cave with black rocks and   
dripping stalactites, just as she'd imagined a truly evil lair to be.   
Once a week, she and Tina had painstakingly scrubbed the floor ever   
since they'd moved into the headquarters. It had been nearly a year   
since they'd started that tradition... She sighed and picked her frog   
up, raising it to stare eye-to-eye with the creature.  
"I'm sorry," she told the animal with a slight wrinkle of her   
nose. "I'm sorry that this isn't the perfect plan we thought up..."  
It croaked in response.  
She placed the animal in a small aquarium that was attached to   
the arm of her throne. It had been her Christmas present... "I will take  
over this damned planet!" she announced, drawing a handful of crystal   
shards from a pouch at her waist and staring at them. "Or I will go down  
trying!"  
The green shards sparkled as she threw them high into the air.  
"Go, my pretties!" she cried as the small pieces hit the ground   
and turned into small frogs. "Go and kill the Sailor Scouts!"  
************  
  
Groaning, she opened her tired gray eyes. A skylight opened above   
the bed, casting warm light on her face. Normally, she would have smiled  
and stretched, bathing herself in the sweet light of day.  
Instead, she frowned miserably.   
"An unfamiliar ceiling," she whispered, almost afraid to move from  
her spot in the big double bed.   
A door creaked open, and she turned her head. Her soft, red   
tresses fell into her eyes as she glanced at the woman in the doorway.  
She was undeniably young, with shoulder-length locks that were   
neither completely black nor completely purple. Bright eyes, large and   
violet, peeked out from under thick bangs. Though dressed rather plainly  
in a short-sleeved sweater and a pair of jeans, the woman appeared to   
have a strangely timeless quality, and a shiver ran down the spine of   
the child in the bed.  
"Well, Miss Ambriel, it's good to see that you've finally woke   
up," chortled the woman with a smile on her face, crossing the room to   
the bed and perching on the edge of it. "I suppose you're confused to   
how you got here."  
Sitting up, the girl smoothed her shirt. Glancing down at herself,  
she found she wasn't wearing the outfit that she had left in but a pair   
of blue pajamas a size too big. "I remember that Mistress Uranus came to  
get me when I was on my way," she commented with a slight furrow of her   
brow. "And then, I got in the car with her and..." She yawned a little   
and blushed. "I don't know, Mistress Saturn. I guess I fell asleep..."  
With a chuckle, the woman ruffled the girl's hair, which was   
nothing more than a tangled mass of red ringlets. "My name is Hannah,"   
she told the child sweetly, smiling down on her. "Not 'Mistress'   
anything. And yes, you fell asleep, and Alexandra got an older pair of   
Aeris' pajamas for you." She glanced down at the small child, suddenly   
noticing the mismatch of the clothes to the little girl. She pursed her   
lips and held back a chuckle. Ambriel was nearly drowning in the   
pajamas. "But, she's Alex, and not exactly perfect..."  
There was a pause, during which the girl fell back into the   
pillows, letting out a sad sigh. Hannah raised an eyebrow, confused by   
the behavior, but didn't question it.  
"I should be at home," she admitted regretfully, staring up at the  
skylight. "My family's probably worried. I was just so...excited...by   
the news what that crystal does..." Ambriel wrinkled her tiny nose and   
sighed a second time.   
"Well, the twins are at school," stated the adult, glancing at the  
girl, "but you are more than welcome to stay here until they get back."   
She pursed her lips in thought. "As for your family... Well, let's just   
say that Lisa is staging a cover-up for you." A smile crossed the   
child's face at this comment, and Hannah felt herself smiling as well.   
"It's amazing how lucky you are," she informed her companion, crossing   
her legs as she sat.   
Ambriel cocked her head to the side, gray eyes sparkling in   
merriment and a bit of confusion. "What do you mean?"  
Shaking her head, the woman rose and brushed off her jeans. "It's   
just me, you, and the baby," she told the girl, thrusting her hands in   
her back pockets. "Up for some pancakes, Ambriel?"  
"Sure!" exclaimed the girl, clambering out of the bed and nearly   
tripping over the clothes she wore. "Sounds great!"  
With a smile, Hannah took the hand of her new little friend and   
led her downstairs.  
************  
  
"Damn it, Richard!" screamed the young woman, bending over the   
spreadsheet, pencil in hand as she read over the numbers. "Have you ever  
actually BALANCED this thing?"  
There was a chuckle from the cat on the couch. He sighed and ran a  
hand through his hair. He also working on a similar sheet. It took all   
his will to not turn and scream at his partner across the table.   
"Reeny," he said coolly, glancing at her with annoyed cobalt eyes, "I   
know that it's not balanced. Lyra was working on that one, but with   
school and everything..."  
She huffed. Richard tightened his grip on the pencil.  
Suddenly, there was a muffled beeping sound coming from one of the  
two schoolbags on the table. Both of the students reached into their   
bags. He pulled out a single cell phone. She pulled out three cellular   
phones, a beeper, and a hand-held computer.   
"Hello?" barked Richard, a bit annoyed at the untimely call.   
"Star? WHAT? At your school? And you're sure? Uh-huh. Did you call the   
others? A BUSY SIGNAL WITH THE MERCURY COMPUTER? HOW CAN THERE... Oh.   
Alright. On it. Yeah. Bye."  
He hung up, the color already draining from his face as he quickly  
stood and rushed to the front door.  
"Richard, what--" The Princess of the Earth jumped as her own cell  
phone went off. She ignored it and scurried after the young man. "What   
in the world is going on?"  
He bent down to tie his tennis shoes, looking quite displeased.   
"There's a bunch of little, day-glow-green frogs gathering outside   
Crossroads," he stated quickly, switching feet to pull the other laces   
tight. "It's the consensus between Scouts that this is definitely the   
next monster from Ginnie."  
Reeny, who was already slipping on her black shoes, paused and   
gaped at him. "And we're not transforming... why?"  
"Because we don't KNOW," he countered, standing a tugging his   
blazer on over his dress shirt, "and nothing makes people more nervous   
than a bunch of Sailor Scouts appearing at the drop of a hat." Opening   
the door, he pocketed his keys. "Now, let's go!"  
She nodded. "Right!"  
************  
  
"I'm sorry."  
"I know."  
"PLEASE forgive me."  
"No. I can't."  
There was a pause. Brother stared at sister, red eyes large and   
sad. Lavender stared back.  
"But..."  
The tall, thin kitten took a long step toward her chubby, tan   
counterpart. Their noses touched gently. Neither spoke for a long moment  
as they stood, frozen, in place.  
Then, Ara sighed. "I can't forgive you because I believe I am the   
one who should be begging." A slight smile dawned across her green-  
furred face as she let the glare in her eyes melt away. Slowly, she   
lowered her front paws and her head in a mock bow. "Please forgive me,   
Galileo," she begged, utmost seriousness in her voice. "I have wronged   
you, sent you away, and hurt you. Please, allow me to extend my most   
gracious apologies..."  
He suppressed a giggle. "It's alright, Sis..."  
She smiled just the tiniest bit, glancing to her littermate with   
doubt in her gaze. "You sure?" she asked softly, not standing from her   
bow quite yet. "I have not done something unforgivable?"  
"Well, you have," he said, her face falling dreadfully as he told   
her that much, "but I have, too. I figure we're even."  
And, for one of the first times since she had become a Guardian,   
Ara beamed a truly happy smile.  
************  
  
"This is STUPID," she grumbled, standing on the little ledge   
around the school roof as she spoke. Slowly, she raised one leg until it  
was almost parallel to the rest of her body. Her expression never   
changed, but she was obviously concentrating as she continued. "I mean,  
I have a BIG test in music theory today, and I had to look Miss Kaioh--"  
"Mrs. Ten'ou, actually," corrected the brunette who was sitting   
cross-legged on the roof.  
"--in the eye and say, 'Hey, there's frogs coming to Lyra's school  
and I must protect the Galactic Sailors.'" She hopped down from her   
perch, blue braids bouncing, and settled herself on the ledge, looking   
out at the group of neon-green frogs without interest. "I don't know   
what was more pathetic--me saying it, or her letting me out of class!"  
Wrinkling her nose, the single blonde girl on the roof glanced up   
from the little Mercury computer and glowered at her friend. "Would YOU   
like to take a nice long look at these readings?" she barked, annoyed.   
The taller girl craned her neck to see the screen, and then blanched.  
Lyra just nodded in response to the reaction. "That's right,   
Phoebe," she stated blandly, hitting a few more keys as she spoke.   
"Those frogs have the same type of brain waves that all the other   
monster we've faced have had. They're mini-monsters."  
"They're still a waste of time and effort," muttered the auburn-  
haired one, swinging her legs back and forth as she, too, sat on the   
ledge with two of her fellow Scouts. "What can a frog that size do? Lick  
Crossroads to death? Unbalance the ecosystem by eating all the flies in   
Tokyo?" She laughed and her own suggestion, and both the one sitting on   
the dirty surface of the roof and the blue-haired one laughed at the   
joke. Lyra, however, did not laugh. Alice rolled her eyes at the   
makeshift leader and continued. "You all worry too much! Really, lighten  
up!"  
Leaning back on her elbows, Haley nodded in solemn agreement.   
"She's right, you know," she pointed out to the curly-haired one as her   
hair was ruffled by the light wind. "There is really no risk in a group   
of mini-monsters lurking around the city, and--"  
She was cut off by a scream.  
All four Galactic Sailors clambered to their feet and peered over   
the edge of the roof, not sure of what to expect. There, right in front   
of the building's entrance, were all of the frogs--a good fifty of   
them--and they were slowly melting. The girl who had screamed, a tiny   
seventh-grader who had obviously been late to class, stumbled backwards,  
toward the doors, crying out again.  
Then, in a flash of green-yellow light, the smaller frogs melded   
into one giant frog. It was a good twenty feet tall, with shining black   
eyes and skin that almost appeared to be sequined. It glanced down at   
the girl, a slight smile on its lips, and croaked loudly.  
The entire building shook with the force of the noise.  
Clutching the ledge as the school shook, Lyra tossed her blonde   
hair and lowered her chestnut eyes toward the creature. Her navy skirt   
billowed out in the wind as she glanced at the others.  
They nodded, and lockets flashed in the noonday sun.  
"Polaris Galactic Power..."  
"Phoenix Galactic Power..."  
"Aurora Borealis Galactic Power..."  
"Comet Galactic Power..."  
Four girls' voices united as one.  
"Make UP!"  
************  
  
She felt it.  
Sitting, silently, in the classroom, she felt it as she had   
before, but it hurt, this time. Gripping her pencil with all her   
strength, she focused on the old man's lecture.   
Her green eyes fell away from the chalkboard and turned to face a   
single empty desk near the front of the classroom. A bookbag leaned,   
abandoned, against the vacant chair. She gulped. Something was going   
on...  
"Miss Yuuichirou?" questioned the tall, elderly teacher, placing   
his pointer on his desk and glancing at her. "Are you paying any   
attention?"  
Straightening up with a start, Tara folded her hands atop her desk  
and nodded politely, flashing a slight smile at the other students. Some  
boys in the back of the room snickered, and she knew instinctively that   
she was scowling something awful. "Yes sir!" she responded quickly,   
trying to look resolved and calm. "I was just...thinking...and..."  
He snorted slightly, as though he didn't believe. "Well, you have   
a pass," he commented, picking up a little slip of paper from his desk   
and waving it toward her. "It's a dean's pass, so I'd suggest you   
hustle."  
"Yes, sir," she nodded, standing quickly and grabbing her bag. She  
swore she could hear the Student Counsel President, who sat nearby,   
giggle. She ignored it and bowed, starting straight toward the door,   
pass in hand.  
As she strode down the hall, her shoes echoing on the tile as she   
walked, she could feel her heart start to break in pieces. A monster was  
out there. A monster was fighting them.  
She could do nothing.  
The pain, mixed with her salty, steaming tears, burned.  
************  
  
They raced down the sidewalk, heartbeats pounding in both pairs of  
ears, knowing what was happening but yet unsure.  
She sighed slightly between furious pants, brushing a piece of   
green hair out of her face. Already, the single bun she had pulled her   
tresses into was coming loose. She knew that she looked a mess.  
Beside her, the younger boy--well, younger by six minutes, but   
still younger--was huffing just as she was. His red eyes were focused on  
the ground, and she silently wondered what he was thinking.  
She closed her eyes tightly and tried to focus on running. The   
others were in danger. They were needed. They... They were Scouts and   
they needed to do this!  
They kept running.  
************  
  
"A Crystal with powers like that..." She bit her lower lip in   
thought, still staring at the Lunatarian words. Her silver eyes burned.   
She didn't quite understand how...  
A small cup was placed in front of her. "Tea?" offered Brice,   
pushing the steaming beverage toward her. Sitting down on the edge of   
the desk, he glanced down at the page before sighing. "Master said that   
we should be doing more research than just focusing on that silly   
passage, Abigail..."  
"I know," she admitted bitterly, thrusting the drink away and   
slamming shut the book in noticeable frustration. "But what can I do?   
I'm stuck, damn it!" She crossed her arms on the desktop and buried her   
face from view. "I don't know what to do! Some leader I am!"  
He shook his head without sympathy and patted her light blue head   
of hair. "Maybe we can't do anything," he stated blandly, standing and   
starting for the door. "Maybe we have to rely on the Scouts for a time."  
She didn't look up.  
The door closed softly behind him.  
************  
  
"What is it with these badguys and animals?" growled Sailor Comet   
in annoyance, rolling away from a long, bright pink tongue as it slammed  
into the concrete sidewalk. The walk cracked, the tongue leaving a small  
ditch upon impact. The brunette Sailor Scout raised a fist into the air   
and glowered at the giant frog-monster. "But, then again, you're going   
to meet your maker! Fiery..."  
The monster croaked, and the whole area shook. It was all Comet   
could do to stay on her feet, and even then, her balanced wavered and   
she fell backward, landing on her rear end with a resounding thump.   
Groaning, she glanced over at the others, who were also sprawled about.  
It was one strong monster.  
Aurora Borealis looked to her blue-haired friend. "What do you   
think about this?"  
"I think I don't like it one bit!" announced Phoenix loudly,   
rolling onto her stomach in the place she'd fallen and pulling the VR   
goggles that matched her computer from null-space. "There is NO weak   
point!"  
Sailor Polaris' face lost all color as she clambered to her feet.   
"None?" she repeated in doubt, gazing up at the enormous creature before  
her. Her stony, resolute Sailor Scout face faded away and was replaced   
with a nervous pallor. "Oh, my..."  
"You wimps!" came a new voice, and a beam of silver light erupted   
in the area, running into the frog. It fell backwards, calling out in   
agony.  
Four Galactic Sailors turned to see their leader, sword drawn,   
standing between her Prince and the tuxedo-garbed Starlit Prince. "Need   
some HELP?" she questioned, brandishing the sword and bathing in the   
bright gleam of the silvery blade. "Or should I let you flounder?"  
The Starlit Prince waved a hand in the air, and a rose appeared in  
his grasp. Sending an angry glare at the now-revived monster, he threw   
the rose and let it pierce the wet, neon-green skin of the frog   
creature. "A school is a beautiful place for learning and   
socialization!" he scolded the creature in an annoyed tone. "And I, the   
Starlit Prince, will not forgive you for trying to destroy a place of   
enlightenment!"  
The Galactic Sailors all snickered, and it was obvious that Sailor  
Moon was struggling to breathe from her chortles. He frowned.  
"What?"  
Helios glanced at the sky, also amused. "Did you take lessons from  
the original Tuxedo Mask, dear Prince?" he managed, the smile on his   
face growing as he made the statement.  
Crossing his arms, the Starlit Prince's scowl darkened.  
By this time, the monster had climbed back to its feet and seemed   
to be ready for battle. It croaked loudly, and the ground shook.  
"Starburst Shimmer!"  
"Double Dead Scream!"  
Suddenly, the frog tumbled over itself, howling out in pain. Its   
black eyes rolled back in its head and then, a handful of crystal shards  
appeared in its place.  
The Sailor Scouts all climbed to their feet to see three of the   
four Chibi-Scouts standing in front of the school, faces drawn and   
gaunt.  
There was silence for a long moment. No one moved or spoke.   
Suddenly, there was a flash of orange and the shards were gone, to the   
obvious disappointment of the Pluto twins. The calm face of the Chibi-  
Scout leader turned to a grimace as she saw the event. She blinked, and   
then spoke.  
"We must find the Crystal," stated Chibi-Star blandly, holding out  
a hand. A shimmer of gold later, the Staff of the Nebulae appeared in   
her fist, and her purple-and-yellow fuku faded into a suit of bright   
gold. "We must do it now, and we must be fierce in our attempts."  
Everyone stared at her, and she paled, gulping back the lump in   
her throat. "Ummm... That is to say..."  
"She's right!" Sailor Moon chimed in, sheathing her sword as she   
called out. "That thing's dangerous, and we've got to find it!"  
Helios, remembering the conversation of the previous night, nodded  
solemnly.  
Phoenix rubbed her hands together. "Then what are we waiting for?"  
she asked eagerly, a spark of excitement flying into her icy eyes.   
"Let's go!"  
The Keeper of the Nebulae shook her head slowly. "It is not that   
simple," she put in. Opening the palm of her free hand, she whispered   
arcane words. A few marble-sized crystal appeared in her palm, the   
colors bright in the afternoon sun. "If you are to do this, these will   
be needed." She gestured to the Scouts with her staff, her green eyes   
timeless and her voice low. "You must pair off and split up. Each team   
shall get a crystal. You must throw it, allow it to shatter, and wait."  
She raised her face to the skies, her expression bleak. "The Crystal   
will appear to take the remains, as it has before. You must try to   
capture the Crystal of Illusion." Her face snapped down and she stared   
straight at Sailor Moon. "Do you understand?"  
The leader nodded and took her Prince's hand. Polaris strode   
straight toward the Starlit Prince. Aurora Borealis looked to Phoenix.   
The Pluto twins glanced at their older cousin and all three warriors   
smiled at each other.  
"Done, then." The gold-garbed child passed out one crystal to each  
of the four groups. "Good luck."  
She faded out of existence, leaving the others.  
All nine of the destined soldiers gulped separately.  
The search was on.  
************  
  
"I see..." She brushed a single silver lock from her bright blue   
eyes. "There is a problem with this...this Crystal, you say?" She seated  
herself in a small throne that seemed to be shaped of clouds, her white   
gown unwrinkled even as she sat. "And I can help?"  
The gold-garbed one nodded slightly, her tight twist at the nape   
of her neck bobbing slightly as she did so. "I believe that we can use   
this Crystal for good," she told her companion, resting her staff on the  
white, soft ground as she spoke. "The others do not know... Or, rather,   
I do not believe they know..."  
She laughed, her giggle like the twinkling of a million tiny bells  
as she raised the back of her hand to her lips and smiled sweetly. "You   
do not believe they know?" she repeated with another chuckle, tossing   
her head of silver tresses as she spoke. "My, you have changed!"  
Lowering her bright green eyes, the smaller of the two scowled   
lightly and shot an icy glare at her companion. "As have you," she   
grumbled darkly.  
"Now, now, my dear Keeper, do not maintain such annoyance with   
me!" laughed the other one with a lilt of amusement to her voice. "I did  
not mean anything by it and you know, as do I, that I am simply   
jesting."  
"Of course," responded the blonde one, smoothing the skirt of her   
golden battle fuku, unconvinced. "You have always been so free spirited,  
and I often forget."  
With a wistful sigh, the silver-haired woman leaned back in her   
seat and smiled gently at her companion. "Do you not see that spirit in   
my daughter?" she asked softly. A slight nod and a shared smile was all   
the response she received, but it was enough to put the gleeful sparkle   
back into the blue eyes. "I often forget, too," she admitted   
reluctantly, cupping her chin in a dainty hand. "I forget that you, as a  
mortal, are close to her."  
The Keeper of the Nebulae nodded slowly, her small smile fading   
slowly as she thought of the younger girl. "She has much to learn before  
she can take in all of the Silver Moon," she responded softly, her pale   
lips turned into a frown. "She is still but a child."  
"As are you, my Keeper," came the brief but amused reply as the   
azure orbs roamed over the nine-year-old form that the younger woman   
held. "You are Celeste Ann Mokoti, are you not?" she asked without   
sarcasm, still staring. The Keeper gave her a slightly confused glance.   
"That is the child who is your mortal form, correct?"  
A timid blush crept across the Keeper's face. "Well...yes..." she   
softly answered, not looking up. "On Earth, I am but a normal child,   
enrolled in elementary school..." She pulled her head up and focused on   
the pale face of the white-garbed woman. "Is it not embarrassing, Angel?  
I control so much, and yet I am but a girl!"  
Shaking her head, the Angel of the Moon turned her face skyward,   
the silver sigil on her forehead glimmering in the bright sunlight that   
flowed down from the heavens. "You are a lucky one, my friend," she   
countered, her face reflective, if sad. "You are able to live a life   
alongside other children... You are able to be what mortals call   
'normal...'"  
There was a long pause as the golden-garbed one stared at her   
solemn friend, unsure what she was saying. Green eyes also glanced   
toward the firmament, and the sweet glow of the sun stared down at her.   
The warm rays touched her face and she smiled slightly, taking in a   
long, deep breath of the air and letting her worries fade.  
For a moment.  
"Well, now, was there not a crystal we were discussing?"   
questioned the adult quickly, pulling her gaze from the sky. Her eyes   
met those of her friend, and neither spoke for a moment. Then, a smile   
crossed her face. "And I can help you with this crystal, no?"  
The Keeper of the Nebulae let a broad smile cross her face,   
forcing it to stay in place as she nodded toward the other. "Why, yes,"   
she responded, pursing her lips together. "There is."  
************  
  
"So, what are we supposed to do?" she asked with a bit of doubt in  
her voice, staring down at the little blue crystal in the palm of her   
hand.   
The one with the auburn tresses laughed merrily at her friend,   
leaning back against the trunk of a large oak tree as her walnut eyes   
stared at the lithe dancer. "Weren't you paying attention, Pheebs?" she   
asked with a raise of an eyebrow, a bit of sarcastic chiding in her   
tone. "We're supposed to let it shatter and then wait."  
A slight breeze ruffled the aquamarine school skirt of the blue-  
haired one as she continued to focus on the small pebble-like sphere in   
her hand. "Well, then," she breathed, pursing her lips together. There   
was a pause before her icy eyes snapped up and caught the gaze of her   
friend. "Hey, Alice," she inquired nervously, "what's the crystal going   
to do to us?"  
"Like I know!" retorted the older of the two girls with a flip of   
her wavy tresses, still leaning languidly against the tree, seemingly   
without a care in the world. Her bright smile, however, failed after a   
brief moment, and the happy expression was replaced with worry. She   
gulped and pursed her lips together. "Honestly, I don't know..." she   
whispered, voice almost lost in the windy afternoon. "I'm worried about   
it, too, because if Evil Ginnie wants it so bad..."  
Nodding, Phoebe turned the little ball in circles, watching the   
sun sparkle down on it. Behind the two girls loomed the four-story   
structure that was Crystal Music Academy, still filled with students...   
Students who were lucky enough to be unaware of the danger that lurked   
around every corner...  
"They lucked out, you know," sighed she, tossing the crystal up   
into the air and catching it easily. "They don't have to worry."  
"Who?" came the confused question.  
A thumb jerked toward the building as the little sphere continued   
to be tossed up and down. "They did," she responded softly. "All the   
other students... All the other people in the world... They'll never   
have the pain of being destined, or the nervousness of really NOT   
knowing what happens next..." Pink lips pursed together for a brief   
moment as, turning slowly in a circle, Phoebe turned her face to the   
blue sky. "But this is our life, right?"  
The crystal flew up into the air, sparkling all the while as it   
slowly neared the ground.  
"Ready?" asked Alice nervously, hiking up her navy-blue skirt as   
she crouched slightly. Brown eyes stared at the shards that shone on the  
grass.   
"Set!" came the quick response as the other girl rested her hands   
on her knees, staring.  
Suddenly, a bright orange glow radiated down from the sky, and an   
orb appeared. It was really only as big as the fist of an average   
person, but something about the bright sphere seemed powerful and   
majestic.  
Slowly descending toward the ground, the crystal brightened. Both   
girls bristled noticeably as the distance between the grass and the orb   
decreased.  
And then, it stopped.  
To the average eye, it appeared that the orange ball of light was   
pausing to examine the tiny pieces of blue glass embedded in the dirt.  
That was enough for the duo of superheroes.  
"GO!"  
Alice leapt into the air with all her might, heading straight for   
the still-hovering crystal. Her blue-haired companion dove, performing a  
somersault in the exact direction of the orange sphere.  
There was a blink of light, and a collision.  
With a grunt, the smaller of the two teens opened her bright ice-  
blue eyes--only to find that a larger, auburn-headed form was atop her,   
pressing her body to the damp grass. She wrinkled her nose in disgust   
and groaned, trying to push her friend off her.  
Shaking her head, the wavy-haired one slowly stood and brushed the  
dust from her school uniform, glancing down at the still body of her   
companion. "Damn it!" she growled, annoyed. "What was THAT?"  
An angry glare was received in response. "How is this MY fault?"   
Phoebe spat, tossing her braids as she stood. "You're the idiot who   
landed on ME!"  
"I didn't try to ROLL into the crystal!" retorted Alice, lowering   
her eyes. The temperature around her seemed to drop a few dozen degrees.  
"What were you sniffing when you did THAT?"  
"Sniffing? What kind of druggie do you take me for?"  
"I resent that!"  
"Why would YOU resent that?"  
And, as the bickering continued, the slight flicker of orange on   
the horizon blinked out of existence.  
************  
  
"Girls suck," he muttered in a dark tone, leaning against the bank  
of lockers as he spoke. Gold-brown hair was limp and messy, as it had   
been for a few days, and his copper eyes were both restless and listless  
at the same time.   
He was mostly alone, excepting the rather tall brunette girl who   
stood beside him, fishing through her locker. Between grunts of effort   
as she pulled out her schoolbooks, she glanced at her companion. "Eric,   
you seem to be in a pretty horrible mood," she noted aloud, her glasses-  
covered eyes focusing on his face as her Irish accent echoed through the  
busy hall. She paused in her efforts to pull a stuffed frog out of her   
locker and toss it to the male. "Here! Humphry will cheer you right up!"  
Taking the little toy reluctantly, the high school senior raised   
his eyebrows toward the teen with the brown uniform. "You exchange   
students are awfully strange, you know," he commented aloud, looking   
down at the green animal. "VERY weird."  
"And just for that, take Ethel!" A toy chicken was quickly tossed   
his way, and it was all Eric could do to catch it. Tossing her head, the  
girl slammed her locker shut and placed her hands on her hips, seeming   
to be perfectly in place amongst the sea of blue-and-white garbed teens.  
She smiled triumphantly. "I am not odd, whether you like it or not!"   
Then, seeing that the downtrodden expression on her companion's face   
wouldn't melt, she frowned. "Is something wrong? Did your parents get   
mad and said that I can't stay as the exchange student?" Getting no   
response, she stamped her foot on the ground. "WHAT?"  
Sighing, Eric returned Humphry and Ethel and trudged down the   
hall, the Irish girl on his heels. "Joan, you understand women, don't   
you?" She didn't respond with anything more than a confused blink. "And   
you understand relationships, right?"  
The chuckle carried through the air as she pushed through the open  
doors and followed the host down the steps toward the student parking   
lot. "I prefer wild affairs with men whose languages I don't speak," she  
retorted casually as she rested her bag on her shoulder. "But, I guess   
I'm stuck understanding women because I am one..."  
"So, then, why are they so weird?" he questioned conversationally   
as the duo walked toward Eric's car, weaving through empty spaces and   
toward the back of the parking lot. There was no response from the   
exchange student, so he kept walking. "I mean, I've been in love with   
this girl for three years, and it's only when she says goodbye that I   
realize I love her..." He sighed and stopped, not at all phased when she  
started to stride straight past him. Catching the girl by the shoulder,   
Eric turned her to face him, and colorful eyes gazed through glasses   
right into his soul. "Is that bad?"  
The befuddled look, a normal Joanian feature, disappeared quickly   
and was replaced by a knowing, understanding expression. "Some things   
cannot be changed," she responded coolly, suddenly sounding extremely   
wise, "unless you truly wish for them to be changed."  
A gust of wind whistled through the trees as she pursed her lips,   
suddenly silent. School uniforms were ruffled, hair was quickly mused,   
but still neither made an attempt to move. Ethel and Humphry were still   
eccentrically perched on Joan, one stuffed animal per shoulder.   
Then, she cocked her head to one side and grinned happily. "Now,   
come ON," she insisted, snatching the car keys from the front pocket of   
his shirt and starting toward the small black vehicle without him. "I'm   
going to miss El Hazard if you don't hurry up!"  
He chuckled slightly at her antics, the wise words echoing in his   
ears.  
'Unless you truly wish for them to be changed...'  
Eric smiled and started after his exchange student.  
************  
  
"What a waste of time!" groaned Haley, pushing a piece of brown   
hair from her bright teal eyes as she turned the corner onto Carillon   
Plaza, heading toward the Chiba-Ten'ou-Hartford house. "I don't BELIEVE   
that turned out so badly!"  
From the backseat of her cousin's silver Ford Taurus, the young   
boy nodded solemnly. "I'll say," he sighed, red eyes gazing out the   
window as trees and mailboxes seemingly flew past the car. "The stupid   
Crystal didn't even appear!"  
His sister remained silent, her bright eyes closed in what seemed   
to be deep thought.  
Nodding, the young woman stopped at a traffic signal and leaned   
back in her seat, making eye contact with the child through her rearview  
mirror. "It's really odd that it DIDN'T show up, too," she commented   
with a slight wrinkle of her nose before refocusing on the bust road.   
"It's almost as if that thing KNEW we were coming for it..."  
"Perhaps the Crystal was aware," spoke a calm voice, and both the   
other passengers glanced at the previously silent girl. Her hands were   
folded in her lap, creasing the otherwise wrinkle-free blue school   
skirt, but her now-opened and usually colorful eyes had turned an   
emotionless black. "I wonder if, upon foiling an attempt at its own   
capture, the small orb realized our plot and chose to protect itself   
from harm."  
Haley raised an eyebrow and stepped on the gas. "A crystal with a   
brain?" she asked softly, her face draining of color as she actually   
considered what the smaller girl was saying. "That does make sense..."  
"A Scout meeting?" suggested Peter uncertainly, chewing on his   
lower lip.  
Pulling into the driveway at 687 Carillon Plaza, the brunette   
adult stopped the car and turned herself to face the two children. "I'll  
call Reeny and see what we can do," she told them both, forcing a smile.  
"And don't worry--we'll get through all this and save the world."  
Aeris forced a brave smile and opened her door. "I know," she   
replied sweetly.   
Two car doors slammed and a silver vehicle sped off. Multicolored   
eyes turned bright blue, a color of hope, peace, and love. And the   
Guardian of Time smiled.  
"After all, we always do."  
************  
  
"First, you break Serenity's law," growled the woman with a toss   
of her raven tresses, turning the small red car onto Sendai Hill as she   
spoke. "And NOW I find out that you skipped a day of school?" A glare of  
purple was sent through the mirror and toward the girl. "What the Hell   
were you thinking, young lady?"  
Light green eyes, bloodshot and teary at the same time, focused   
not on the speaker but out the window. Her tanned face was streaked with  
tears that she didn't quite remember crying; they had fallen after she'd  
called her mother but before the Dean informed them both of her three-  
day suspension... She gulped back the bile that rose in her throat and   
pressed her eyes shut. So tried... So scared... So...alone...  
For the first time, that morning, she had told off the group of   
blonde cheerleaders. She didn't want to be one of them, reading their   
beauty magazines and talking about boys. No longer.  
She wanted to be Tara.  
"Mother, I..." Her voice caught in her throat and cracked,   
catching the attention of the woman in the front seat. She pursed her   
lips and swallowed tears. Truth. "I want to be a priestess again,   
Mother," she said softly, gazing down at her folded hands. She lacked   
the bravery to glance up at the woman in the front seat. "I want to   
study in the ways of the Shinto, just as you have always hoped for   
me..."  
Raye didn't look at her child but kept her eyes focused on the   
road, silent. Neither woman spoke for a long moment; neither of them   
truly wanted to. The High Priestess wasn't exactly sure what to say:   
saying yes would be a sign that her past resolve had failed, but saying  
no would break the girl's heart.  
Pulling up to the curb slowly, the adult stopped the car in front   
of the temple and turned around to face her daughter. "I don't have an   
answer," she told the child solemnly, her bright eyes lowered as she   
spoke. "If you truly want to be a priestess again, you must start at the  
beginning, as though you're only a child."  
With a long sigh, Tara slowly closed her eyes and nodded her   
assent. "Then, I will," she responded in a shaky tone, a single tear   
trailing down her cheek. "My training begins again. Today."  
"Right." There was a pause before her mother smiled slightly.   
"But...   
She froze. "But?" she croaked nervously.  
"You're still grounded for skipping school."  
Despite the iron tone of her mother's voice, the girl smiled.  
************  
  
"It does THAT?"  
"You have GOT to be kidding!"  
"Has Celeste been informed yet?"  
"Did Helios and Reeny have any intention of telling us about   
this?"  
"Are you completely certain that you heard both of the Elysionian   
Priests correctly? In all the time I have known you, it has seemed as   
though you--"  
"Yes, yes, YES!" interrupted the red-haired child, tugging on her   
jumper as she spoke. The large guestroom was empty except for the two   
other children, but she was still frantic and hurried. "Now, we have to   
get back to the Palace for that Scout Meeting that Haley's going to   
call!"  
Peter scratched his head confusedly, red eyes wide as he watched   
the smaller of the two girls haphazardly pull her clothing on. "Ummm..."  
he stammered, blushing slightly as she replaced Aeris' old pajama top   
with her white blouse. "Are you feeling alright, Ambriel?"  
She nodded quickly, chubby fingers quickly buttoning up her shirt   
with an odd amount of finesse. "If there's a Scout Meeting, that means   
something really important is happening!" she told them matter-of-  
factly, the excitement in her voice ebbing as she spoke each word. "If   
my mother actually announces what the Crystal does, anarchy is going to   
ensue! TRUST me!"  
"The darkest, deepest desire of the one who utters the words,"   
breathed the green-haired one softly, leaning against the wall. "What   
kind of demon creates such a powerful, dangerous crystal?"  
"Someone evil," replied her brother thoughtfully as he glanced at   
the silent redhead. "I mean, if someone good wanted their deepest wish   
to come true, then..."  
A nod. Silence.   
Then, standing, the girl otherwise known as Angel Moon clicked the  
heels of her black shoes together, catching the waning attentions of her  
two friends. "Shall we teleport?" she asked, tugging her transformation   
stick from her pocket and holding it above her head.  
Suddenly, a silver glimmer enveloped Ambriel. She gasped, and her  
whole face went pale. Aeris and Peter both scrambled forward, but she   
was already beginning to rise into the air.  
"No!" she screamed, kicking her legs and flailing her arms as she   
was lifted toward the ceiling. "Get me out of here!"  
Pulling her Time Key from null-space, the green-haired girl jumped  
toward the shaft of silver light, her eyes black with anger. "In the   
name of Pluto!"  
The light disappeared as a beam of red energy escaped from the   
Garnet Orb.   
Aeris slammed into the hardwood floor with a resounding thump, her  
small body shaking with tears even before she landed. Blue eyes stared   
at where the light had been, and it was all she could do to punch the   
ground with a tiny fist.  
"AMBRIEL!"  
************  
  
"We came here," sighed Abigail, brushing a strand of blue hair   
from her bright eyes as she spoke, "for the sake of the Galactic Sailor  
Scouts. Not for the sake of you, nor ourselves. Master, do you   
understand?"  
Helios was awestruck as he stared at the duo of priests. They both  
stood in the middle of the bedchamber, their purely white robes fitting   
in with the marble surrounds. She was tall, lean, and strikingly   
beautiful, with straight sky-blue tresses down to her waist and   
impossibly silver eyes. Her companion, a slim yet shorter man, had   
shaggy green-brown tresses and wary-filled chestnut eyes. While the   
woman looked regal and adult, he looked both sheepish and young. Each   
carried a thick book, and that was it. Perhaps, were it not for the   
young man's nervous expression, they would not have appeared to be   
travelers.  
Glowering at the two priests, the silver-haired man rested his   
hands on his hips. "There is to be a Sailor Scout Meeting here in a   
matter of moments," he growled, azure eyes glancing toward the closed   
chamber doors as he spoke. "As your Master and High Priest of Elysion, I  
command that--"  
"You listen HERE," spat the woman, jabbing a long finger straight   
at his chest as she spoke. Eyes lowered, and her normally sweet voice   
fell to a deep, domineering tone. "Because you now live on Earth, I am   
the Master of Elysion." She faked a smile briefly before frowning once   
again. "I am THE most powerful priest in my world, you understand? Maybe  
you're stronger, but I'm in charge." The young man behind her gulped   
nervously as he watched. A mad Abigail was a dangerous Abigail, that was  
certain. "And, as the High Priestess of Elysion, I say that I stay RIGHT  
HERE until I feel like leaving." She straightened up and tossed her long  
hair. "Brice, why don't you sit down at the Princess' desk and find the   
pages in our books?"  
The moss-haired man gulped. "But..."  
An icy glare sent him on his way.  
Running a slightly apprehensive hand through his wavy locks,   
Helios forced a small smile. "I don't like or understand your logic,   
Mistress," he told the woman hesitantly, the coolness in his tone   
belying his otherwise happy disposition. "For now, you can boss me   
around. But you will regret this stunk once I return to Elysion..."  
"This is AWFUL!" whined a voice, and the doors suddenly burst open  
as five teen girls and a young man filed into the room, followed closely  
by a young blonde child. The speaker, who wore a dirt-covered school   
uniform and six long, blue braids in her hair, walked right over to the   
bed and collapsed. "The stupid Crystal didn't let me catch it!"  
The auburn-haired young woman who took a seat behind the   
complaining one just mumbled something under her breath, only to have a   
pillow thrown at her.  
Chaos ensued, with all the young people talking at once. Abigail   
stared, amazed, as the group of girls and the tall redheaded man all   
chatted about mundane things. Helios' fingers rose to his temples as he   
closed his eyes, obviously annoyed. And Brice, books before him, just   
STARED...  
It was the young girl, though, who the young priestess found the   
most interesting. She was only perhaps nine years of age, and she wore a  
rather boring blue-and-white school uniform. Long blonde hair was pulled  
halfway behind her head by an enormous navy bow, and large green eyes   
stared at the loud, laughing group. She was silent and--while she seemed  
to be neither surprised nor annoyed by the antics of her fellow Scouts--  
she wore a mask of stone on her pale features.  
Her voice was soft as she spoke, but everyone heard. And listened.  
"I believe that we have guests here today." The motion in the room  
ended quickly as she turned her large eyes on the two white-garbed   
strangers. Both were near the silver-haired Prince, and both were   
staring at the girl, shocked by her timeless voice.  
But it was the pink-haired Princess of the Earth who first   
responded to the child's comment. "Abigail and Brice?" she gaped,  
surprised by the two priests' appearances. "What in the world are THEY   
doing here?"  
Helios pursed his lips for a moment. "Well, you see--"  
Suddenly, two flashes of red light appeared in the chamber. From   
the light came two children, both dressed in school uniforms. Their   
faces were masks of fear and concern as they stepped from the bath of   
crimson glow and faced the group.  
"Aeris? Peter?" gulped the longhaired brunette who was leaning   
against the wall, her teal eyes looking over the two children with a   
spark of nervousness.   
The girl just sighed and hung her head, usually bright eyes dark   
and sad. Her brother took a deep breath.  
"Uhh..." he stuttered as he glanced from the Princess of the Earth  
to her silver-haired boyfriend. "We have a little problem..."  
************  
  
Clouds, clouds of all colors and shapes, surrounded her body as   
the last of the silver light dimmed away. Soft white robes, just like   
those of her Angel Moon outfit, covered her body. Large, feathery wings   
sprouted from her back and fluttered in the slight, surreal breeze. The   
air was cold, but yet she was not; it was the strangest sensation, and   
it frightened her.  
Suddenly, a woman appeared before her, basked in a bright white   
light. Her robes were the same as that of the child, but she looked to   
be about twenty years older. Silver locks, wavy and yet straight at the   
same time, cascaded down her shoulders and to her waist, seemingly   
unhindered by the large white wings that, too, came from the back of the  
woman. Blue eyes gazed down at the girl, timeless and yet teary, and   
ivory skin was wrinkled slightly by a pink-lipped smile. But perhaps the  
thing that most struck the child was the bright silver crescent moon   
that glittered on the brow of the woman.   
And, then, she knew.  
"You are called Ambriel," whispered the young woman, slowly   
sinking to her knees in the clouds as she spoke, her bright eyes meeting  
the nervous yet awestruck gaze of the small girl. "You are a guardian   
angel. Did you know that?"  
There was a slight nod as a response as the girl took a hesitant   
step forward. Reaching out a hand, she traced her fingers along the   
silver moon upon the stranger's brow. Then, just as reluctantly, she   
touched her own brow.  
She knew what was there. And she knew what it meant.  
"Mother?"   
"I have never been called that," the woman stated plainly, resting  
her hands in her lap as her expression turned sad. "I have been called   
Priestess and friend, but never... Never mother..."  
Ambriel gulped nervously and held back tears. "But you... You are   
my mother, yes?" she asked weakly, her voice catching with every passing  
syllable.  
With a slight smile, the woman--no, the angel, the child told   
herself--held out a hand toward the girl. There was a glimmer of light   
and a perfectly white rose appeared in its palm. "Yes, my dear child,"   
she whispered, offering forth the flower toward the frightened redhead.   
"You are the daughter of myself, the Angel of the Moon, and a human."   
She shook her head slowly, as though she was disappointed in herself.   
"I, too, am half human. My mother had fallen from Heaven, and..." She   
forced a smile, and all sadness fell away from her expression. "Well,   
that is not to be spoken of." Holding the gift further toward her child,  
she cocked her head to one side. "You do not want it?"  
Frozen for a moment, the girl stared at the perfect rose before   
slowly accepting it. "What... What is your name?" she queried softly,   
still staring at the bloom she held. "You are the Ambriel, the Angel of   
the Moon, but surely you--"  
"Serenity once called me Amber," responded her mother with a   
gentle smile. "Is that what you would like to call me?"  
"It suits you, Mot--Amber," stumbled the child, brushing a single   
strand of red hair from her face. Then, realizing where she was once   
again, her expression suddenly paled and her manner became frantic. "The  
others!" she yelped, tucking the rose into a pocket as she glanced   
quickly about the cloudscape. "Where are my friends?" she demanded   
angrily. "I--"  
Putting a single finger to her own rosy lips, Amber shook her   
head. "I am certain they miss you, my dear, but this is important."  
Gray eyes met blue, and the nervous girl froze immediately. There   
was ice and iron in those eyes.   
"Ambriel," the Angel of the Moon began, "the Crystal of Illusion   
was created millennia ago, and is only made for evil." She pursed her   
lips and paused for a moment, and a small glimmer of orange appeared   
between her palms. It was a sphere, only the size of an average orange,   
but it sparkled and shone like something powerful. She was suddenly   
reminded of her mother's Silver Imperium Crystal, and she was about to   
say so when the orange died and the orb faded out of existence.  
There was silver and, for a brief moment in time, the angel's face  
lost all its color. Then, before Ambriel could bat an eyelash, the stony  
resolve reappeared, and the blue eyes were once again cold.  
"I cannot even control the Crystal for a full minute," admitted   
Amber hesitantly as she ran a hand through her thick silver hair, "and I  
certainly would not be able to save the world by taking it away." She   
took in a deep breath and stared straight at the child, the unsaid words  
in her eyes those of a very scared, very lost young woman. "Ambriel, you  
have the purest heart of all the Sailor Scouts." A gasp escaped the lips  
of the girl. She ignored it and continued. "When the time comes, you   
must seize the Crystal and, despite the pain, you must say the words and  
use the Crystal. YOU, and no one else, must summon your deepest wish."  
Her jaw moved, but the words faltered. She gulped and tried once   
again. "What..." She clenched her eyes shut, and tears escaped and slid   
down her cheeks. "What if I am not pure enough?" she choked, her tiny   
fists tightening around the cloth of her white robes. "What then?"  
Putting a warm hand on the shoulder of the small, shaking girl,   
the Angel of the Moon sighed deeply and forced a smile. "My daughter,   
you are all you must be," she assured the girl, though her tone wavered   
as she said so. "Just have faith in yourself and, when the time comes,   
you will know all."  
There was a glimmer of silver, and Ambriel felt herself start to   
fade away, out of existence. "Wait!" she yelled, reaching out for her  
mother. "Don't send me away again, Mother! Don't do this!"  
With teary azure eyes, the woman gazed at the little girl and   
slowly shook her head once again. "I am sorry, Ambriel," she whispered,   
her voice just loud enough to be heard. "But I do love you, whether you   
believe it or not."  
And, with that, the child's world went black.  
************  
  
"That damned angel!" she snarled in annoyance, her black form   
hardly noticeable as she perched on the edge of the giant thunderhead.   
Lightning crackled about her, and thunder boomed in her ears, but never   
did she flinch. Instead, she sat motionless, her deeply brown eyes   
focused on the young woman with the silver hair and the white clothes.  
Slowly, the beautiful vixen, the bringer of all things so pure,   
stood and turned, her blue eyes staring straight toward the   
thundercloud. Those eyes, so beautiful and large, did not see the woman.  
And yet, they stared right at them.  
"You have tried this before, have you not?" questioned the strong,  
soprano lilt as the woman a silver tress behind her shoulders. "You have  
tried to win, but I have foiled you before, Ginnie." She smiled widely,   
her eyes glinting triumphantly. "And I will again, just you wait."  
Floating across the gap between clouds, the Queen of Evil snapped   
her fingers and lifted the shield of invisibility from around her. Her   
adversary, the Angel Ambriel, started a bit, but she didn't let her fear  
show on the outside. Ginnie smirked. After all those years, she was   
still as cold as ice.  
The shorter of the two sighed and smoothed her black gown   
casually. "That girl isn't old enough to do much to someone as strong as  
me," she scoffed, her wavy brown-black locks swaying in the breeze that   
flowed from the nearby storm. "You are signing your own death   
certificate, Ambriel, and you know it."  
"Haven't we had this discussion before?" she questioned   
tauntingly, glancing down at her white-painted fingernails as she spoke.  
"Who won the last battle?"  
A hand raised. A crackling bolt of yellow energy shot from the   
outstretched forefinger of the black-garbed woman and shot across the   
ten feet toward the angel. Before it hit her, the energy disappeared.   
Ginnie scowled.  
"Good luck beating the Scouts, my dear Ginnie," smiled the woman   
as she slowly faded away. "You'll need it."  
Evil Queen Ginnie frowned and lowered her eyes.   
And, from the storm behind her, thunder roared.  
************  
  
"She's out there? In THIS mess?" Reeny paced up and down the   
windowed wall of her chamber, red eyes staring out at the city of   
Crystal Tokyo. Less than five minutes ago, the skies had opened up and   
it had started to rain. Now, the storm didn't seem ready to stop.  
The two Pluto twins glanced at their feet, feeling everyone else's  
eyes on them. Neither spoke for a long moment. Then, suddenly, red eyes   
glanced toward the Princess of the Earth. "It was not in our hands," the  
boy stated calmly, his face devoid of both color and emotion. "We tried   
to save her, but the light held powers that we could not fight against."  
A challenging spark entered the cinnamon eyes of the monarch, but   
the voice of the green-haired girl cut off her ensuing retort.  
"I'm sorry..." Aeris' tone was week as teary blue eyes peered up   
through thick eyelashes and long hunter-colored bangs to look at her   
Princess. She dropped quickly to one knee in an elaborate bow, tucking   
her head down to advert eye contact. "I tried desperately to protect   
her, but I wasn't fast enough..." She gulped back tears and took a deep,  
shuddering breath. Her brother motioned to comfort her, but the hand of   
his destined caught him by surprise.   
Celeste just shook her head reproachfully.  
Still shuddering, the Guardian of Time picked her head up to stare  
at the pink-haired woman. "I will do whatever I am to do, in order to   
make up for this mistake." She turned to look at all the others in the   
room, including the duo of Elysionian priests. She did not smile, nor   
frown, but her expression was grave despite that. "I will even face the   
penalty of death, if I must."  
"You must NOT," chuckled a voice, and there was a glimmer of   
silver light. Slowly, a form appeared in the bright glow... A form with   
a long red braid of hair and a smiling face... A form wearing a jumper   
and a blouse... A form with bright red locks and sparkling gray eyes.  
"Ambriel?" gasped Reeny in doubt, rushing toward the girl.  
She nodded and the light disappeared. "I think," she stated   
roughly as every person in the room turned to stare at her, "that its   
time we discuss how to evade our coming doom."  
No one tried to argue otherwise.  
************  
  
Galactic Sailors... (Suddenly, the words are crossed out...)  
  
(Scribbled in red crayon:)  
  
GINNIE SAYS!  
  
Ginnie: (appears) Today, I have to tell you something grave.  
  
(Cue solemn, severe music. The room darkens.)  
  
Ginnie: Something serious.  
  
(The Kanji for "she's finally serious!" scrolls behind her darkened   
form.)  
  
(Dramatic pause.)  
  
Ginnie: I am a real badguy.  
  
(Silence. Crickets chirp. Cue sweatdrop.)  
  
Ginnie: (scowls) I am! I am really evil!  
  
(Light laughter echoes through the room. Ginnie's face reddens.)  
  
Ginnie: (angry) I am truly cruel!  
  
(More laughter. Ginnie miraculously grows sharp fangs and devil horns.)  
  
Ginnie: (livid) I WILL DEFEAT THE SAILOR SCOUTS!  
  
(Out-and-out guffaws. Ginnie facevaults.)  
  
Ginnie: (picking herself up off the ground; beyond livid, but not yet   
rabid) You just wait! All of you! You will be very, VERY sorry!  
  
(Flash of yellow energy. Laughter subsides. Ginnie is gone.)  
  
(Butler, writer-goddess, appears, smiling knowingly.)  
  
Butler: I'm sorry. That was not supposed to happen. She's a bit...  
confused...   
  
(Kanji for "dulling down the truth, are we?" scrolls behind her head.   
Butler pulls out a bottle of inter-dimensional Windex and a sponge and   
wipes it away.)  
  
Butler: (smiling once again) Now, if you'll excuse me...  
  
(Pause.)  
  
Butler: (sigh) See ya!  
  
(Cheering as she walks off the stage. Suddenly, a mighty roar echoes   
through the air...)  
  
Butler's voice: I SAID no Sailor Says! What part of 'no' don't you   
understand? You're toast, girl! TOAST! (Pause.) What do you mean the   
camera's not turned off?! Bags!  
  
(Static.)  
  
-I Know-  
Look around...  
(Ambriel stares down at Tokyo from the top tower of Crystal Palace)  
So many things aren't clear...  
(Aeris and Peter stand before the Gate of Time with terrified   
expressions)  
Don't worry, though...  
(Haley smiles and turns a page in her book)  
You know that I'll be there...  
(Orion and Orb chase after the kittens)  
A lot of things are so uncertain...  
(Tara, near tears, bites her lip)  
The future's on its way...  
(Michelle holds Delaney, an amazed smile on her face)  
Look into my crying eyes...  
(Reeny wipes tears off her cheeks while Serenity watches nervously)  
Don't take your love away!  
(Alice slams the door in her father's face)  
  
Sometimes, the road looks long...  
(Lyra looks up at the North Star)  
And sometimes, the world seems wrong...  
(Phoebe hugs her mother around the waist)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(The six Galactic Sailors hold up their lockets)  
  
Sometimes, you feel weak...  
(Richard grabs onto the wrist of a falling Celeste)  
And sometimes, the future looks bleak...  
(Terrence shakes his head as Sailor Pluto walks through the Gate of Time)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(Ambriel, Celeste, and Aeris all hold up their transformation pens)  
  
Times will change...  
(Tara, robes flying, chases Joshua around the courtyard)  
People will change, too...  
(Haley plays with her now-long hair)  
But deep inside...  
(Helios takes Reeny's hands in his)  
I always will love you...  
(Richard bends down to kiss Lyra)  
I suppose there are questions now...  
(Peter tugs on Terrence's pant leg)  
The answers are so far...  
(Alice and Phoebe dive for a floating sphere and miss)  
But look at me and smile now...  
(Hannah and Brian both smile as Alex takes Delaney into her arms)  
I am your guiding star!  
(Lyra and Richard stare at Celeste and Peter, who are watching the   
sunset)  
  
Sometimes, the road looks long...  
(Lyra looks up at the North Star)  
And sometimes, the world seems wrong...  
(Phoebe hugs her mother around the waist)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(The six Galactic Sailors hold up their lockets)  
  
Sometimes, you feel weak...  
(Richard grabs onto the wrist of a falling Celeste)  
And sometimes, the future looks bleak...  
(Terrence shakes his head as Sailor Pluto walks through the Gate of Time)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(Ambriel, Celeste, and Aeris all hold up their transformation pens)  
  
I know...  
(Chibi-Pluto, the Angel Moon, and Chibi-Star stand together)  
I know...  
(The Galactic Sailors stand together)  
All you need is love...  
(All nine girls stand together)  
All you need...is...love...  
(The Prince and Princess of the Stars kiss)  
************  
  
Okay, I know: not the best story, ever. I was just...burnt out and... I   
wanted to start 26, but... ::sigh:: Well, as Shakespeare once said:   
"Never excuse."   
  
::snort::  
  
He wasn't a fanfic author, now WAS he?  
  
Till next time!  
  
--Kate  
  
Quote of the Episode (credit "Tenchi Muyo!"):  
"Eat enough of those, and you'll grow up to be a spaceship!" -Tenchi to   
Ryo-Ohki   
  



	12. The Past, the Present, and the Future

The Past, the Present, and the Future  
  
Author's Ramblings: Has everyone been watching the Sailor Moon dub? And   
what do you think of Tenchi Muyo? I like Tenchi, and my favorite character  
is easily Sasami... Or maybe Ryoko... No, I take that back; it's Washuu...  
And cat-bunnies are cool!  
Yes, I know, Episode 25 was pretty boring and long and obnoxious... Well,  
this one will be much better, and probably more interesting, too. And   
maybe, JUST MAYBE, Ginnie will stop acting like she's one screw loose of a  
hardware store. Or not.  
MP3 of the day: "Yume no Naka e" from His and Her Circumstance.   
Miko: priestess-in-training  
Ofuda: Raye's "akuryo taisan" thingies. You know, the post-it notes?  
************  
Last time...  
  
Ambriel talked to Angel Moon about the Crystal of Illusion. We found out   
what the Crystal did (FINALLY!), and two Elysionian priests came to inform  
the Scouts about the Crystal. La, la, la, it was a boring story, but   
Ginnie actually acted like a real badguy for all of a scene. It WAS an   
awful story, but it wasn't as bad as 13, praise the Gods!  
  
And that, my friends, is where the story begins...  
************  
  
Dead silence.  
The room was filled with an eerie calm, and that was nothing that   
any of its members particularly wanted.   
No one knew just how to respond to the little girl, however, so not   
one of the group dared speak. Eyes focused on the child as she slowly   
walked over to the desk. The moss-haired one glanced nervously up from his  
book, almost afraid to meet the gray-eyed gaze of the tiny girl.   
Certainly, she was only a child, but the sparkle of determination and the   
eerily peaceful expression on her pale face was almost frightening. She   
didn't seem to be a child, any longer.  
"That kid is sure looking freaky," hissed one of the teens on the   
bed. There was a grunt as the braid-headed one received a stern elbow in   
the stomach from her auburn-headed companion.  
And then, sliding a large, dust covered book out from under the   
Lunatarian history that Brice was reading, the redheaded child sat down,   
cross-legged, on the floor. From the front pocket of her jumper, she   
pulled a small pair of reading glasses and, slipping them onto her tiny   
nose, she opened the book.   
"This," Ambriel informed the group in a stern, adult voice, "is a   
book of Prophesy, called 'Galactia.'" She slowly flipped a few pages of   
the volume, her intense gaze never leaving the book as she spoke. "It is   
the story of the Galactic Sailors, written almost a millennia ago by the   
Queen of the Earth, Serenity."  
Suddenly, she wrapped her fingers around what appeared to be half   
the pages and flipped those over and away. Now, she was staring at the   
approximate middle of the tome. She nodded to herself upon looking over   
the page.  
"You see," she continued toward the group, adjusting her glasses as   
she spoke, "Prophesy is like a storybook that's written in advance. And   
this is just one of the hundreds of volumes that are kept in the Palace."   
She glanced up at the silver-haired Master of Elysion and the woman beside  
him. "There is Prophesy in your world as well, right Papa?" Helios nodded,  
and she continued.  
"I just finished translating this book." She did not smile, nor   
frown, but kept her pink lips perfectly straight. Her expression was   
impassive and completely lacked emotion. She looked frighteningly adult.   
"But I would like to read to you a single passage from it."  
If the room had been frozen before, it was now at absolute zero.   
Neither Scout nor Prince nor Priest dared to bat even an eyelash as the   
child slowly raised the book onto her lap. Gray eyes lowered, focusing on   
the small words before her.   
Then, she began.  
"Darkness and light will mingle in a battle of eternity," she read   
aloud, her soprano lilt more timeless than ever before. "The light will   
hold a sword high, and grant forgiveness; the darkness will hold a sword   
low and run the light through. But another light, glimmering silver, will   
hope and lead all from harm.  
"But the light is not to be. Orange will appear and threaten the   
light, and only that silver glisten of life may save the peace of the   
Earth. All must battle as one before darkness is destroyed. Words must be   
said, wishes granted, and then...  
"Then, the orange will fade into oblivion, and the light will   
reappear, leading the silver and gold to hold the world in their hearts."  
Silence swept over the room as she spoke the last line. Gray eyes   
slowly glanced up at the group of motley soldiers. Pink lips pursed.   
The book slammed shut.  
"Do you know what that means?" gaped Abigail softly as she tucked a   
strand of sky-blue hair behind one of her dainty ears. "Because, if the   
orange..."  
"Is the Crystal of Illusion, we could be destroyed," finished the   
girl for the adult, slowly rising with her book in one hand. She turned   
her face up to meet the silvery gaze of the Priestess and nodded solemnly.  
"I understand every last word of that passage, Mistress."  
Snorting, Alice Kino leaned back on her elbows as she sat on the   
Princess' bed, her deep brown eyes staring at the child. "Well, WE don't   
know, Ambry," she reminded the girl in an annoyed tone, "so you could tell  
us."  
Cold, angry glares shot toward the auburn-haired one, but she chose   
to ignore them all.   
No one responded to the teen's comment for a long moment, and then   
Ambriel smiled and cocked her head to one side. "Of course you don't   
understand..." she grinned, flipping a strand of red hair from her eyes.   
"I didn't explain it yet!"  
Sighs all around. The tension lifted. The normal, happy-go-lucky   
child was back, much to everyone's relief.  
"Well, I guess it IS mighty confusing," continued the little girl as  
she sandwiched herself between Aeris and Peter on the little pink couch.   
Gray eyes darted about the room, still eerily intense, but they didn't   
seem as downright frightening as before. She chewed on her lower lip for a  
moment.  
And then, that strange, solemn quality to her expression returned.   
She was once again the timeless Angel of the Moon instead of the foundling  
daughter of the Earth's Princess.   
"Evil and good will fight to either end or save the world. Good will  
use a 'high sword,' or be righteous, and will give forgiveness for sins.   
And then the evil will use a 'low sword,' or be under-handed, and kill the  
good." She paused, almost dramatically, as the warriors exchanged nervous   
glances. Death was not something that any of the group was familiar with.   
And they did not, rightfully, yearn to be familiar with it. And they were   
worried.  
And, inwardly, so was she.   
Priestess... Angel... Daughter... Friend... Scout...  
Destiny or not, so was she.  
"But the one in silver--either the Silver Star or Silver Moon--" she  
shivered inwardly, knowing which one it would be even before the battle   
began "--will bring goodness anew and save the world in her own way."   
Pause. She'd said 'her.' Half the Silver Star was out of the question now,  
and already Richard was reaching for his young love. Oh, how she hoped   
they'd see through the 'either' and know the truth!  
She continued.  
"This new goodness will do no good. The Crystal of Illusion will   
appear, and it will threaten the goodness. The silver will be forced to   
save everything--the Earth, the peace, our destinies..." She gulped and   
took a deep breath. "But all power must unite as one to win.   
"Then, one of the warriors will recite the magical words and invoke   
the Crystal of Illusion to action. And it will work, either for good or   
bad, and then--"  
"What does the Crystal do?" interrupted a hasty Haley Ten'ou. She   
received sorted, annoyed glares at her question, but she shook them off.  
Ambriel smiled. She hadn't had to finish. She figured as much; they   
didn't care if the Prophesy had a happy ending or not.  
But, inwardly, she frowned.   
Now one knew if the end WAS happy, yet.  
"I believe," stated the white-garbed Abigail with a long sigh as she  
scratched her slender fingers through her hair, "that it is time we   
explain."  
************  
  
"Dammit!" she cursed, kicking the stone wall in bitter anger as she   
spoke.  
Above, thunder roared and lightning flashed. Not that she could   
tell. Not that it mattered. A little storm was no great threat to the city  
of Tokyo.   
And, obviously, she was not a threat, either.  
'Having a bad day?' chided a sweet voice as a memory swept through   
her mind. Tina and the others had smiled sweetly from around the kitchen   
table as they all dined on instant ramen and pre-packaged iced tea. She'd   
smiled and lied to all five of her minions, not wanting to seem to be   
unhappy. Of course, she had been pretty angry, because...  
Because...  
She clenched her fists. Yellow energy crackled around her black-  
garbed body. Anger seared through her.  
Because of those damned Sailor Scouts! Because of THEM!  
She kicked the wall again, her deep brown eyes glinting in anger,   
frustration, hatred, and every other emotion known to man.  
She, Evil Queen Ginnie, would have her revenge.  
************  
  
He sat on the covered porch, watching the rain pour down. Every few   
moments, thunder would cackle in its normal, foreboding way, and then the   
lightning would flash across the sky and shed blazingly bright light over   
the entire city.  
From his seat, he could see the ancient brick building that was his   
school. It looked so old and alone, even on a school night. Behind that   
building were the silhouettes of quartz spires, shooting high into the   
overcast sky. And beyond those spires were places he cared for, like   
Crystal Music Academy and the Ten'ou residence.  
And it was not that he cared about those places, really. He just   
cared about HER, and she was connected to those places...  
"You're thinking about that girl again, aren't you?" questioned a   
decidedly Irish voice. He glanced straight up to see a pair of glasses-  
covered eyes staring down at him.  
He jumped, surprised, and dashed straight from his seat. One hand   
clutched his chest as he panted, leaning against the damp porch railing   
for support.  
"Don't DO that!"   
With an amused chuckle, Joan cocked her brown-haired head to one   
side and smiled. "Well, aren't WE Mister Sunshine?" she asked   
sarcastically, hopping into the now-vacant lawn chair. Her gray-green-  
blue-brown (also known as hazel) eyes studied his confused expression for   
a long moment, as though they'd never before seen anything like him. Then,  
cupping her chin in one hand, the exchange student sighed. "At LEAST tell   
me her name!"   
Eric Hartford furrowed his brow. "How DO you do it?" he inquired,   
unable to hid the shock in his voice.  
"Do...what?" she prompted, completely lost.  
"How do you ALWAYS know what I'm thinking before I flat-out say it?"   
Smiling sagely, the teen crossed her legs and continued to stare at   
him. "Well, we Irish-folk are quite perceptive..." Receiving no response   
to the comment, she rolled her eyes and buzzed her lips, annoyed. "You've   
got it written all over your face! You look like a lovesick puppy! Jeez!"  
The curve of a slight smile dawned across Eric's otherwise unhappy   
face. Still, he turned away from the other teen and stared out across his   
lawn, watching as the giant drops of rain plopped into the swimming pool.   
"Haley," he stated. "Haley Jordan Ten'ou, nineteen years old..." A sigh   
escaped his lips. "And so beautiful..."  
With a loud, though mocked, gagging noise, Joan pulled herself from   
the single chair and crossed to the porch railing. Then, wordlessly, she   
perched herself on the small, thin slat of wood, seemingly unconcerned by   
her precarious balancing act. Those eyes of hers, bright and intense,   
stared at his unhappy expression.   
Silence...  
He fidgeted just slightly, aware of the gaze that studied him so   
intently. He HATED people staring at him...  
Silence...  
Suddenly, the collar of his school dress shirt was very tight. He   
ran a finger around his neck just under the band, taking a long and deep   
breath to calm his fizzling nerves.   
She still stared, right next to him. He felt like a worm that had   
just wriggled from the soil, only to be caught in the sights of a ravenous  
robin.  
Silence...  
"What?!" he exclaimed nervously, springing away from the girl and   
turning his copper eyes to meet her gaze. It was still eerily silent   
despite the pouring rain and the occasional deep rumbling that was   
lightning, but... But...  
With her normal, happy chuckle, Joan grinned a toothy smile at Eric.  
"Well, well, well, you think I know something, don't you?" He just stared,  
completely blank, at her. "Well, I don't know anything, because YOU DON'T   
TELL ME ANYTHING!" She caught him by his red school tie and dragged his   
face toward hers. "And I want to know all about this girl so that I can   
get you two back together!"  
The grip on his tie loosened and he smiled gently at the Irish girl,  
silent for a moment. Then, back to the falling rain, he stared through a   
window into his family kitchen. His mother was bent over the sink, no   
doubt washing dishes or doing something else of the sort. And he was   
certain that his father, in his same old fashion, was sitting in the   
recliner in the next room, reading the newspaper.  
He imagined himself and Haley in the same way, sharing an old,   
married life.  
He liked that fantasy.  
"I met her because my brother was marrying her sister," he began,   
copper eyes smiling in memory. "And that was the beginning of   
everything..."  
************  
  
"'It is not just a crystal,'" read Brice aloud, his dark brown eyes   
focused on the words of the book with a strange sort of stealth that could  
really not be described in words. Everyone in the room paid rapt   
attention, even as he paused to mentally translate the ancient words. "It   
was created for good, I believe, but not even I can be certain. All I know  
is that, now, it is truly dangerous.'"  
The turn of a page. No one moved.  
With every word and every breath, Abigail felt her heart begin to   
break into pieces. The Sailor Scouts would undoubtedly panic at the coming  
information, and she knew it. She was dreadfully worried about what would   
happen... How would the five teenaged-girls and the one young man react?   
And the children... She gulped as she glanced at the blonde girl, who   
seemed overly knowing, and then at the Pluto twins. None of the three   
seemed all too worried... THAT bothered her...  
"'I cannot say that I am completely sure how this creation works,   
because I do not. But, from the research both the others and I have slaved  
over, I can make but one verdict: it cannot fall into the wrong hands.'"  
More silence. Brice was obviously stuck on a Lunatarian word or   
two, and Abigail had to truly restrain herself from just telling him to   
forget it all. They couldn't very well FORGET it. This entire case was   
imperative. At best.  
"'This Crystal of Illusion, as I have decided to name it, brings   
forth the deepest, darkest wish of the holder.'" He brushed his bangs from  
deep brown eyes. "'There is a saying, though I don't know what, which will  
open the gateway to this happening. The user must cradle said crystal in   
their hands and then say the words of magic, and the gate will open.'" He   
pursed his lips for a long moment, not bringing his eyes up from the book.  
"'If one who is good uses the Crystal, then peace and perfection will   
grace this planet. And, if evil uses the Crystal...'" He froze and closed   
the tome solemnly. "And then, the entry ends."  
Snickering and rolling her icy blue eyes, Phoebe flipped a long   
braid over her slender shoulders. "Oh, yeah RIGHT," she snorted, almost   
indignant as she spoke. "Like some ancient woman from the moon would   
know..."  
A throat cleared as Abigail forced a brave little smile and perched   
herself on the edge of Brice's desk. "I wish that I could dismiss that   
entry as you can, Miss Phoenix," she sighed with a slight shake of her   
head, "but as a scholar of ancient lore, I cannot. Selene is known to be   
bitterly accurate in her histories..."  
"Meaning?" prompted Lyra, her chin resting in the palm of one of her  
hands as she sat on the floor beneath Richard's chair.  
Abigail pursed her lips. "Meaning," she responded softly, "that this  
entry is true. And that the crystal does just as we suppose it does."  
A dull silence fell over the room as all the Sailor Scouts glanced   
nervously at one another. Wordlessly, the Princess of the Earth made her   
way over to her Prince and buried herself in his open arms. Haley   
nervously chewed on a thumbnail as the two other Galactic Sailors on the   
bed just exchanged wary glances. The red-haired Prince of the Silver Star   
reached out to lay a hand on the shoulder of his Princess. The three   
Chibi-Scouts on the small couch all reached for each other's hands. Even   
Abigail and Brice, the only two in the room how had been completely   
prepared for the news, stared at one another, talking without words.  
It seemed as though only Celeste, the little blonde who sat alone   
and apart from the group, was completely calm. No one even seemed to   
notice as she slowly rose from her seat and smoothed the fabric of her   
school uniform.  
"We must take the Crystal into our possession before the Evil Queen   
does," she stated, the timeless quality in her voice signifying that, once  
again, the Keeper of the Nebulae was doing the speaking. "We must have one  
of ours use their powers to call open the power of the Crystal. It is the   
only way."  
"Only way?" echoed a visibly nervous Ambriel from her spot between   
the two Pluto twins. She gaped at her leader, the expression on her face   
one of a girl impossibly surprised. "You mean to say that we must...must   
risk one of our lives to save the rest of the world?"  
One of Reeny's hands gently touched her chest. She could remember   
the sacrifice that was to be the Outer Senshi of the twentieth century...   
Her heart ached suddenly, but she gulped the pain away.  
That time, there had been no sacrifice.  
"Yes." Celeste slowly pushed a golden strand of hair from her face;   
she'd worn her hair that day up like her mother always had, with a single   
large bow, though no one was sure why. "We must do this for the sake of   
the world."  
And, with that, she turned and started for the door.  
"Wait!" protested Lyra as she scrambled to her feet. Her ponytail of  
messy curls bobbed behind her as she shot to her feet and reached out to   
the small girl who was her sister. The room fell silent as the child   
turned to send her green-eyed gaze toward the young woman.  
No one spoke. Eleven pairs of eyes watched as the two sisters stared  
at each other, wordless for a long moment.  
Then, bright forest-colored eyes lowered and the little girl sighed.  
"And how, pray tell, are we to do it if we don't follow my suggestion?  
More silence, eerie and cool.  
And the door slammed loudly behind her.  
************  
  
Morning dawned on Crystal Tokyo, bringing the sweet, warm kiss of   
the morning sun. It was a bright, wonderful Saturday morning, one of those  
days where the world seemed at both peace and rest at the exact same time.  
It was beautiful and lovely and even the air throbbed with life...  
A snickering brunette leaned against the mailbox of a small house on  
that said Saturday, enjoying her existence immensely. Through glasses   
smiled two bright eyes that resembled those of a cat. She wore a pair of   
rather boring black pants and an equally nondescript T-shirt; a single   
stud earring, hardly noticeable, shone in the sun from one earlobe.   
She was watching the tall woman who was perched on the porch bench.   
This stranger had nearly chest-length brown tresses that fell in waves   
around her face and down her front. Teal eyes gazed down at a book that   
was opened on her lap, and she seemed to be intently that very book. And   
she didn't notice the odd, relaxed young woman who was leaning against her  
mailbox.  
"Haley Ten'ou," grinned the teen, brushing a strand of hair from her  
face, her Irish accent cutting through the air. "Perfect..."  
Standing tall, she began to stride toward the front of the house.   
She let a strong, happy grin cross her face and began to wave, calling   
out: "Haley! Oh my gosh, Haley, it's you!"  
The older woman brushed a few strands of wavy hair from her blue-  
green eyes and glanced up, staring blankly at the brunette rushing toward   
her. She'd never before seen the glasses-wearing, nondescript stranger   
rushing toward her, and her expression made that fact unerringly obvious.   
Still, she forced a smile and tried to clear the confusion from her eyes.  
"I know you!" exclaimed the Irish Joan, her smile growing with a   
certain false elation that came across as real. "You're that wonderful   
girl who coaches one of the Peewee Soccer teams, aren't you?"  
A slight nod. A slight bit of true happiness in the otherwise fake   
smile. A slight hint of understanding in her expression.  
"I went to one of your games!" she continued cheerily, plopping down  
on the wooden bench beside the still befuddled brunette. "You see, I'm a   
schoolmate of Eric Hartford, and--"  
There it was! She'd been waiting for that single spark in Haley's   
bright eyes--the hint of sadness and reluctant remorse. It was only a tiny  
glimmer of a tear, but Joan could see...   
Where Eric still loved Haley, Haley still loved Eric.   
Still, Haley managed to hold onto that certain aura of coolness and   
calm that the aforementioned young man had always been amazed by. She   
brushed another brown strand from her face and glanced away from the   
stranger for a brief moment. "Well, that's nice..."  
The Irish girl never halted in her ramblings. "--so, when he coached  
your little team, I came and watched!" She smiled inwardly--a little lying  
never hurt anyone. "Of course, he's a real sweetie, but I think that he   
really needs a girlfriend..."  
Bingo! That slight sadden washed away to hope and need and want...   
If ever Joan had smiled, she was smiling her widest now. It was obvious,   
even without words, that Haley was only inches away from running into the   
wide open arms of her ex-boyfriend, even if she did have to cross all of   
Crystal Tokyo again.  
Inwardly doing a jig of complete elation, the brunette teen ran a   
hand through her hair and feigned a glance at her nonexistent watch. She   
was so glad that she had taught herself to read people so well as a girl.   
It was really making her exchange time more...fun, to say the least.  
"Oh, look at the time!" she gasped, pretending to be direly   
surprised at whatever the number on her wrist was. "I must be going, but   
why don't you meet me at North Street Café in an hour?" Before her   
newfound "friend" could either accept or decline, she began to trot down   
the driveway and toward the street. "That's a date, then! Bye!"  
Haley just stared at the strange teen with the Irish voice, even   
after she faded from view. Her brow wrinkled in thought; that girl, who   
hadn't even given her NAME, had to be at least two years her junior, and   
she couldn't have gone to Crystal Music Academy. And, as a coach, she   
didn't often give out her name...  
Pursing her lips, the brunette gathered up her book and started into  
the house, pondering all the while.  
************  
  
Manic laughter echoed through the room as she sat in front of the   
desk, dark eyes boring into the computer screen. Maybe it was the fact   
that she'd not slept for days, but for some reason, she was feeling   
very...disturbed.  
The empty shells of what had once been cups of fast-food coffee were  
scattered about the living room floor haphazardly, spilled over from a   
garbage can that had obviously not been emptied in a few weeks. Atop the   
computer desk were two carafes, but one was empty and tipped over. Steam   
poured from the other pitcher, this one lidless, and a half-full mug of   
the brown liquid sat beside it.  
Still, all the while, there was the eerie, repetitive clatter of   
fingers on the keyboard as she sat typing, her maniacal, insane giggles of  
laughter echoing through the room with no end. Occasionally, a single   
hand would fly from the keys to grip the mug and coffee would be sloshed   
into a mouth, but even those slight reprieves from the clicking were few   
and far between.  
Then, there was a resounding CLUNK! and she, for the first time,   
pulled her hands from the computer and paused in her giggling.  
"There." The statement rang through the room as she folded her hands  
in her lap and stared at the monitor, calm for the first time in days.   
"Done."  
A sparkle of a smile lit up her otherwise dark expression as the   
woman flicked a single brown-black tress from her face and snorted at   
herself. "I have finally devised a way to kill off those pesky--"  
Suddenly, music began to blare through the speakers and a bright  
black screen covered her fine work. She froze and watched as a little Ryo-  
oh-ki began to chase a carrot around the screen. Her smile crashed into a   
frown.  
"Damn screen saver," she mumbled, shoving the mouse clear off the   
desk. Then, she allowed her impossibly demonic grin to reappear and she   
once again folded her hands. "I have finally devised a way to kill off   
those pesky Sailor Scouts!" She began to laugh again, but this time it was  
a time-honored devious laughter. It echoed loudly through the room.  
On a map of Tokyo glittered six tiny green circles, spread about the  
city.   
And then, once again, she pressed the enter key.  
************  
  
"Sissy!" called a little voice as the child ran across the Cherry   
Hill Temple courtyard, his blue-and-cream robes flapping in the breeze.   
Purple eyes lit up as he saw the tall, slender teen standing atop the   
steps, armed with a broom. "Sissy!"   
Pausing in her yard-work long enough to drag the sleeve of her   
kimono across her forehead, Tara forced a smile toward her small brother.   
Her normally happy olive-colored eyes, however, weren't really their   
normal mirth-filled selves. After all, she had been demoted to the lowest   
level of miko there was. Even he, had he been a girl, would have been   
beyond her training at the young age of three.  
She couldn't read fire. She could only study the basic materials.   
And she certainly could NOT use an ofuda, even in dire danger.  
It was an unfair situation indeed. She was a Shinto again...  
But at what cost?  
"Sissy," panted Josh, running a shaky hand through his messy, dark   
hair, "Mama says that you've gotta baby-sit for me!" He grinned proudly   
and looped his thumbs in the waistband of his robes. "And that means that   
we're gonna PLAY!"  
Tara wrinkled her nose in annoyance. It was Saturday, the day when  
both Yuuichirou adults ran off to do grocery shopping and left their two   
lovely children alone.  
GRAND...  
"Fine," she stated blandly, twirling her bamboo broom in one hand as  
she spoke. "I'll play with you..." Green eyes sparkled deviously as she   
dropped said broom and hiked up her ankle-length robes to her knees.   
"We'll play TAG!"  
The boy screeched and began to run, screaming in mock horror, around  
the temple, his older sister almost straight on his heels. She laughed,   
all her depression washing away as the wind ruffled her chin-length hair.   
She tore through the area after the boy, a smile dawning on her face.  
And then, she ran into something large and soft.  
With an audible grunt, Tara fell flat on her wrong end and went   
skidding backward a bit. There was a giggle from the front of the temple,   
and she didn't need to glance up to know exactly what had happened.  
They'd received a patron.  
Joshua had avoided a collision.  
She hadn't.  
"Sorry," she apologized quickly, scrambling to her feet and staring   
straight at her temple sandals. "I wasn't watching where I was going,   
and..." A blush crept across her face, furthering her embarrassment.  
A deep, rumbling chuckle was her first response, and her guilty   
coloration deepened. "Hey, it's not your fault," a masculine voice stated   
comfortingly. "I should have watched, too, but it's not every day that a   
Shinto Priestess nearly bowls you over..." Another laugh.  
She smiled. "I'm just a lowly miko, but thank you for the   
compliment..." Bringing her face up from her dirt-covered shoes, she   
readied herself to glance into the eyes of a young man...  
Only to find herself looking at the top portion of a man's well-  
built, shirt-covered chest.  
Her brow furrowed. Chest? She was five-foot-seven; chests were NOT   
in her realm of possible things to see.  
Tara looked up.  
Blue eyes from a tanned face stared down at her. Blonde hair, wind-  
blown and slightly messy, topped his head. The young man--he could be no   
older than eighteen--was HUGE! He HAD to be six-foot-five, at the   
least... He would have even dwarfed Richard! Then again, SHE was only a   
few inches shorter than Richard...  
"Sebastian Yoshiko," he introduced himself, bowing slightly. "I need  
to buy one...no, TWO...charms for the prayer tree."  
She gulped and pursed her lips, gaping at him. He was GORGEOUS...   
Perfect azure-blue eyes... Mused blonde hair... A charming, sweet smile...  
Trying to gulp back the blush that warmed her face, she grinned.   
"Tara Yuuichirou..." she greeted with a similar bow. "I'm here to sell you  
those two...charms..." She made a face. "I sound stupid, don't I?"  
"Quite on the contrary," he responded sweetly, "you sound awfully   
smart to me."  
She blushed again and started toward the temple, the young man in   
tow.  
And Joshua giggled.  
************  
  
"In an HOUR?" he gasped as the younger teen collapsed on the   
Hartford family couch, a proud smile across her face.   
Glancing at the wall clock, she shook her head slowly. He let out a   
wary breath and nervously smoothed his mused gold-brown hair. Crisis   
avoided... If he'd had only an hour to get ready, surely...  
"She'll be there in half an hour," stated Joan in a relaxed tone,   
playing with the blonde strands of her hair right at her temples. "Traffic  
was awful on the way back here, so I ran late..."  
Eric felt all the color drain from his face as his companion spoke.   
"HALF an hour?" he gulped, immediately rushing toward the door to the   
hallway. "WHY didn't you tell me this sooner?"  
Surprisingly, she grabbed him by the wrist and held him back. Her   
grip was strong and almost painful, and he whirled around with an annoyed   
glare in his copper eyes. "What now?" he grumbled, annoyed. "If I'm going   
to salvage my rel--"  
"Don't fret." Her once laid-back tone of voice was now that of a   
sage adult, and it sent silent shivers down his spine. "Just say what you  
mean." She raised her free hand to touch his forehead lightly, the two   
fingertips like ice against his skin. Then, her fingers drifted down to   
lay right above his heart. "Follow your love for Haley, not your   
rationale. That's what hurt her in the first place."  
For a moment, he could have sworn she looked exactly like Haley. But  
that was completely irrational.   
Then again, rationale...  
Eric leaned forward and landed a gentle, plutonic peck on her cheek,  
trying desperately to burn the words into his mind. "Thank you," he   
smiled, pulling free of her death-grip and starting back toward the door.  
And then, the happy-go-lucky and slightly confused Joan was back,   
sending him a wink. "Good luck!" she called after him.  
The door shut, and she sighed in relief. "Knowing Haley," she   
muttered under her breath, "you'll need it."  
************  
  
She stood, leaning against the side of the temple, as she watched   
the young man scrawl his prayers across the two small slips of paper. The   
kanji seemed to be difficult for him--he paused several times the   
process--but she didn't dare ask.   
Sebastian... She'd heard that name before once, in an old cartoon   
movie that her mother had. But then, the Sebastian had been a tiny, red,   
singing crab, and NOT a tall, blonde, gorgeous young man with bright blue   
eyes and an enchanting smile...  
"Miss Tara?" he questioned, interrupting her thoughts abruptly...   
Not that she much minded, because it kept her from drooling over her. "Is   
this the correct kanji for 'aunt?'"  
Immediately pulling herself away from the building, she strode over   
toward him. He was still standing at the unofficial "business counter" of   
the shrine, where she had set him up to write his prayers almost a half-  
hour before. But he was awkward at what he was doing, that was certain,   
and...  
"Completely correct!" she praised him, flashing her most dazzling   
smile in his general direction. "But how come you needed to ask?"  
Beginning to fold the sheets into short, long strips, he sighed. "I   
live here with my mother and step-father," he explained with a slight hint  
of sadness in his voice. "My real father died when I was twelve..." He   
sighed sadly and shook his head a bit. "I grew up in Sweden, but my mom   
moved here for work when I was fourteen and found my step-dad..." He   
shrugged and started over toward the large, budding prayer tree, only   
partially cognizant that the miko was still behind him. "Which is okay, I   
suppose... Still, even if I DO speak extremely good Japanese, kanji is all  
Greek to me!"   
She laughed at his comment, a single hand flying to cover her mouth.  
"Sorry," she apologized, glancing at her feet for what seemed to be the   
hundredth time that day. "I shouldn't laugh at your troubles..."  
"Laugh all you want!" he retorted, blue eyes sparkling as he glanced  
down at the significantly shorter girl. "Like I'm not used to it!"  
He pulled one of the strips of paper from his closed fist and raised  
his hands to the tree branch. All of Tara's mirth faded as she watched his  
fingers slowly tie the sheet into a knot around the tiny bough. He was so   
serious about it... So careful...  
"I wish," breathed Sebastian softly, staring up at the new prayer   
he'd just added, "that aunt Yukino will get better soon..." He smiled   
slightly and pulled out the second sheet.  
Tara furrowed her brow. Had he needed help on that second paper? No.  
How...odd... Well, if he had been able to write all that about his aunt   
without a major problem, perhaps he was more expert at kanji than he'd   
admitted...  
"And I wish that this beautiful shrine maiden, though she's 'only a   
miko,' will grace my presence at dinner tonight."  
As he turned to send her a long, imploring glance with bright,   
smiling eyes, the young woman felt her face go completely crimson. She   
gulped and looked down at her feet yet AGAIN. "Uhh...well..."  
Suddenly, the world seemed to shake. A giant, booming rumbling that   
sounded something like the croaking of a bullfrog echoed through their   
ears as both teens were thrown from their feet.  
And then, it appeared...  
A giant frog, bright green and almost fifteen feet tall, was   
standing in the middle of the courtyard of the temple!  
She bristled noticeably and glanced from the frog toward her house.   
The little living area that jutted out from the temple proper was too far   
for even her to run; the Sailor Scouts would never be able to get a phone   
call in time, and she would probably get fried in the process. She   
scrambled to her feet in time to be knocked sideways by another mighty   
croak, and she landed with a THUMP! next to her newfound blonde friend.  
"Get Josh," she growled, clambered back onto her feet and clutching   
at a branch of the prayer tree for support as the ground once again   
shuddered beneath them. "Go into the temple and have him call Reeny."  
Sebastian, also standing shakily on his feet, knees almost knocking   
in fear, just blinked.  
Her light green eyes lowered dangerously into the hardened glare of   
a Sailor Soldier, and it was a glare that she hadn't used for months. A   
lump grew in her throat as she saw the genuine worry and concern in her   
companion's face.  
"Please," she begged, her voice softening and angry glower melting   
away, "take my brother and protect yourself..." She forced a smile as,   
once again, the entire temple shook. "I'll go out with you and buy you a   
steak dinner if you do..."  
Grinning, he ran off toward the front of the shrine. She knew, of   
course, that it was a fake smile, but...  
Tara clenched her fists and started right for the monster, her   
strides lacking all fear as she neared it. She really didn't have much to   
live for, anyway... So, why not?  
"You threaten the happiness of youth!" she screamed at the large   
frog, never slowing her quick steps. Her robes fluttered in the breeze, as  
did her hair, but she never wavered. Her eyes were locked in a glare,   
even as the monster turned to gape at her.  
This was the real her. The Sailor Scout. With or without the powers   
and the Locket.  
So be it.  
"Agent of love and justice, I am the pretty ex-Sailor Soldier Sailor  
Earth!" She dug into her pocket and pulled out the forbidden fruit of her   
past days of a priestess--an ofuda. She wasn't supposed to have it, but   
she could deal with that at a later date. Right now...  
"And, in the name of the Earth, I will punish you! Akuryo taisan!"  
The slip of paper soar through the air and magically adhered to the   
brow of the huge frog monster. She stood, motionless, at its feet,   
waiting.   
Silence. Not a croak came from the giant frog. She could feel her   
heart pounding in her ears. It hurt dreadfully, and she could feel a   
headache slowly building. Her muscles loosened slowly, and she let out her  
held breath.  
Suddenly, the ofuda fell from the monster and collapsed to the   
ground, bursting into flames. Tara gasped and stumbled backward, but it   
was too late.  
The frog took one of its huge forelegs and kicked out. She grunted   
as the green foot slammed into her gut and threw her against the far fence  
of the temple. She coughed and closed her eyes.  
"Earth Galactic Power!" screamed a small, childish voice. "Don't   
give up, Sissy!"  
Slowly, she willed her heavy eyelids to crack open. There, in front   
of the prayer tree, were both Sebastian and Joshua. The tall man was   
trying desperately to drag the little boy toward the temple proper, but it  
did not good. The dark-haired child was both stubborn and quick, wriggling  
just enough to cause the blonde teen trouble.  
She wasn't a Sailor Scout.  
Still...  
Climbing carefully to her feet, the teen grabbed onto the fence and   
glared up at the staring frog-creature. Her legs were weak, but she   
managed to stay standing. "You're...punished..." she coughed, raising one   
hand aloft.  
"Go Sissy!" Josh was still fighting, but it was now a losing battle;  
in only moments, he would be in the safe-haven of the temple.  
In just as much time, she'd be dead.   
So be it.  
"Earth... Galactic... Power..." she stammered, her chest aching from  
the blow she'd received.   
The frog readied what would be her fatal croak.  
"MAKE UP!"  
There was a flash of green from the heavens.  
And the world went black.  
***********  
  
"I TOLD you, Helios!" scolded Sailor Moon in her best 'mother hen'   
voice as the duo made their way to the front doors of the Palace. "Tara's   
in trouble! Some guy called from the temple and said there was a monster!"  
The young, silver-haired man sighed and shook his head slowly.   
They'd been in an IMPORTANT meeting with the two Elysion priests when   
she'd insisted on rushing off. The day he understood that girl was far   
away...  
He hoped it would at least come before the wedding.  
"It was an IMPORTANT meeting, Maiden!" he stressed in the same tone   
he'd used on Abigail when she'd shown up at the Palace. "We can't just   
walk out on things like--"  
Helios was interrupted by the dull thundering sound of something   
smacking straight into Crystal Palace. The entire building trembled with   
the force of impact, sending him onto his posterior before he could think   
of balancing himself.  
Sailor Moon, however, seized one of the ornate candleholders that   
adorned the walls and used it to steady herself.  
Then, as suddenly as it had began, the shaking ended.   
"Monster attack," breathed the young woman, pushing a pink pigtail   
out of her face as she stared toward the large marble doors at the front   
of the hallway.   
He clambered to his feet and grabbed onto a similar candleholder   
without thought. "You've GOT to be kidding!" he gaped, still unsure about   
his standing position. "You MEAN to say that something attacked us AGAIN?"  
"You bet your tunic, dear," she retorted quickly, pulling her sword   
free of the scabbard and starting toward the main entry doors. Her quick   
trot caused her heeled boots to echo on the floor. "And I bet that's what   
Tara's up against, too!"  
Gulping back the fear and bile that mixed in his throat, the young   
man followed.  
***********  
  
"WHOSE bright idea was it for us to take a long walk in the park?"   
he grumbled, dodging yet another ball of fire.  
His companion let fly a bright silver ball of stardust and send a   
glare right toward her tuxedo-clad destined. "Can't we argue LATER?" she   
growled as the giant frog-monster picked up a park bench and tossed it   
straight toward her. She dove away from it and grunted. "Call the Scouts   
on your cell phone or something!"  
The Starlit Prince threw a few roses and watched as they were   
deflected right off the sinewy skin of the frog-creature. He grimaced.  
"I think," he called to Sailor Polaris after a rain of fireballs   
nearly pummeled him into the ground, "that we need a Princess!"  
Hands on hips, the young woman tossed her blonde curls. "What about   
her PRINCE, Richard?" she growled, her tone icy.  
"Star, I really don't..."  
Another fireball flew from the frog's mouth, and it was all the   
blonde teen could do to dive out of its way. She landed in a large pine   
bush, not the ideal place, but it could have been worse...  
Climbing from her landing place, she brushed her fuku off a flashed   
him a dazzling smile. One hand flew into the air above her head as she   
slowly focused her energy.   
Then, she closed her eyes.  
"In the name of the Silver Star!"  
There was a flash as glittering blanket of silver enveloped her   
body. Stardust flew around her body as she opened bright brown orbs and   
glared straight at the frog.  
In the open palm above her head, the stardust about her began to   
gather into a ball. The blanket of silver turned into a gown of the same,   
perfect color. Her tiara faded into nothingness, and a glimmering, five-  
pointed star appeared in the center of the forehead. She looked almost   
terrifying as she pulled the orb of dust down toward her chest and pointed  
the palm of her hand at the frog.  
With a resounding gulp, the frog hopped backward, only to run into   
the trunk of an enormous oak tree. In fact, the small cleared area that   
created the path was so shockingly narrow that it had no escape route to   
speak of; it was either through the trees or through one of the two   
soldiers.  
It didn't like either option.  
"Starlight..."  
Black eyes closed.   
Richard smiled slightly. He'd be hearing about his lack of help for   
the rest of the week.   
"STREAK!"  
************  
  
He scuffed his sneakers together nervously, his sweaty hands almost   
unbearable. Five minutes... Five minutes... Five...  
The radio that played outside the tiny café was blaring the news: a   
monster had appeared near Crystal Palace once again, threatening the lives  
of the Royal Family. He'd tried to remain curiously aloof to the news, but  
he knew that she was friends with the Princess, and that worried him. What  
if she didn't come because of the monster?   
Laughing at himself, he sniffed at the twelve red roses he was   
holding. For her, this was the least that could be done. For her, he would  
traverse the galaxy and beyond. For her...  
There! Only a block down, not even, was the brown-haired angel that   
the world called Haley Ten'ou. Her stride was quick and frantic, a   
completely abnormality to his mind. In fact, in the past three years, he'd  
NEVER seen the sporty young woman the least bit nervous.  
Then, she ducked into the nearest alley.  
That was it! Eric Hartford dropped the roses on the ground and   
rushed toward the place that she'd last stood. Haley hadn't even noticed   
his presence, and usually she could downright SENSE him when he was near.   
What was going on?  
The radio continued its less-than optimistic telling of the monster   
attacks, stating that three more creatures had been reported in the last   
half-hour. Eric didn't listen; he was a bit too worried about the brunette  
woman who he yearned to call his own.  
Slowly, cautiously, he peered around the corner of the building...  
"Comet Galactic Power, MAKE UP!"  
His breath catching in his throat, the young man watched as bright   
orange and silver ribbons exploded in midair. Surely, this couldn't be HIS  
Haley!   
But the voice...  
But the long, brown hair that flowed about her like an angel's   
wings...  
But the bright teal eyes that glanced his way, staring...  
Sailor Comet appeared and did not hesitate in stomping right over to  
the young man and seizing him by the collar. "Listen, you," she growled   
angrily, her large eyes boring straight into his soul, "I told you to   
leave me alone and get out of my life." Her scowl darkened. "And now..."   
The tone of her voice lowered another five or six octaves, until she   
sounded more angry and vengeful than ever before. "Now, you know my only   
secret."  
Eric shivered involuntarily. Never had he seen the sweet, kind young  
woman so mad. It was seriously frightening... But then again, this wasn't   
Haley; THIS was Sailor Comet, her unknown alter ego.  
And he wouldn't be loving her if he didn't love this soldier before   
him, too...  
"Don't get yourself killed, Haley," he whispered, copper eyes soft   
and caring as he stared right into her glare. "I...I love you, and nothing  
in the world will ever change that."  
The teal-eyed glower melted, softening into a kind, loving gaze.   
Tears welled up, and her breathing quickened. He... He loved her? He   
finally realized that he loved her?  
She blinked away the tears and loosed her grip on his shirt,   
bringing back her stoic Sailor Scout mask of an expression. "I won't," she  
quickly assured him, pulling her gaze from his. Then, wordlessly, she   
brought her head back up and caressed one of his cheeks with a gloved   
hand. "Just don't leave me ever again, Eric." Her voice wavered slightly.   
"Never again," he vowed, taking her hand in his and landing a   
gentle kiss in the cloth-covered palm. A slight smile crept across his   
face. "I've lost you enough times to last all eternity, and I've had   
enough of it."  
Sailor Comet smiled as well, her teal eyes once again welling up   
with tears. She leaned forward and gently brushed her lips across his   
before leaping high into the air and starting toward whatever evil had   
appeared.  
Sighing, Eric leaned against the cool brick of a nearby building and  
touched his lips. "I finally found her again," he whispered to himself, a   
smile crossing his face slowly. "I found her and she's forever mine..."  
And, from where she leaned against a phone booth across the street,   
Joan grinned.  
************  
  
"What is going ON?" yelled Sailor Phoenix from her perch in a large   
oak tree as she furiously punched buttons on her tiny computer. "Moon,   
Polaris, the Starlit Prince, Helios, Comet, Chibi-Pluto, Angel Moon,   
Chibi-Star, and the Master of Time are all caught up in battle, too!" Her   
ice-colored eyes lowered toward the screen. "And a massive eruption of   
energy was released at Cherry Hill just moments ago!" She glanced down at   
her companion, confused. "What do you think?"  
Sailor Aurora Borealis sent out a mighty rainbow wave before turning  
to glare up at her fellow Scout. The giant frog-creature was thrown   
halfway across the courtyard of Crossroads School, roaring out in agony   
all the way. Massive, boulder-sized lumps of ice were scattered about the   
area, along with what was left of part of a science classroom. The   
annoyance in the auburn-haired Scout's voice was unmistakable as she   
spoke.  
"I think you should help me fight, THAT'S what!"  
Rubbing the back of her neck guiltily, the younger Scout hopped out   
of the tree. "Uh... Good idea?" she questioned.  
As she began to stalk toward the monster, Aurora Borealis just   
rolled her brown eyes.  
************  
  
"How'd I get stuck fighting with YOU, again?" asked the girl   
sarcastically as she watched the giant frog-monster attempt climb out of   
drained community pool. Its webbed feet kept slipping from the deck's   
smooth tiles, and it kept crashing back into the large hole. For the first  
time in her young life, she was grateful that the pool was so deep.  
The little boy snorted and leaned on his Time Key, a habit that he'd  
picked up from watching his mother. "Some destined love YOU are," he   
snorted in annoyance, tossing his head of messy brown hair indignantly.   
"How come the Prophesy stuck US together, anyway?"  
Tossing a golden pigtail, the older of the two cast her tuxedo-clad   
companion a dirty look. "Well, ex-CUSE me, Mister Master of Time!" she   
exclaimed as she folded her arms across her chest. "I was just curious to   
why WE'RE always stuck fighting off monsters--just me and you--without the  
other Chibi-Scouts!" Her green-eyed gaze focused uncertainly on her   
sandal-covered feet. "I didn't mean it like you took it..."  
The genuine apologetic twang to her tone sent shivers down his   
spine. Aeris had often chided him about jumping to conclusions, and now   
he'd hurt the girl he was supposed to fall in love with... He wrinkled his  
nose. Four-year-olds weren't supposed to worry about love! What WAS it   
with that Prophesy, anyway?  
"I'm sorry, 'Leste," he whispered, crossing the ten feet between   
them and laying a hand on one of her shoulders. "I thought... And with the  
monster..."  
Turning toward the young boy, the blonde-haired Scout smiled gently   
and swallowed hard. Before, she had looked as though she was going to cry,  
but no longer. "I'm sorry too, Peter," she responded, uncrossing her arms   
and drawing him into a tight hug before he could even think to protest. "I  
didn't mean to offend you..."  
Suddenly, a roar from behind them heralded one fact: the frog had   
escaped its little prison that was the waterless pool. Both Chibi-Scouts   
whirled around and took up battle-ready poses as the creature threw out   
giant balls of crackling lightning.  
Diving out of the way of an attack, Sailor Chibi-Star called out to   
her partner. "How about we make up later?" she yelled, thrusting a hand   
into the air and pulling out the Staff of Nebulae.  
"Good idea!" agreed the boy right before letting a Dead Scream cut   
through the air. "Right now, we've got a butt to kick!"  
************  
  
"I cannot say that I completely understand what is occurring,"   
commented Sailor Chibi-Pluto sternly, her high-pitched voice echoing   
through the air as she repelled a water attack with a swing of her Key   
Staff. "But I cannot say that I enjoy it, either!"  
Angel Moon fluttered her wings as she soared above the monster,   
sending a shower of silver bolts from her hands onto the creature's large   
back. "Well, why not discuss that LATER?" she yelled, dodging a stream of   
steaming water as she spoke. "Right now, we're fighting!"  
"Comet Crater Close!" The brunette Galactic Sailor dove away from   
where a giant hole had opened in the pavement. "And we're winning!" she   
exclaimed excitedly, raising a fist skyward and closing her teal eyes.   
"What are you doing, Sailor Comet?" questioned the green-haired   
Scout of Time hesitantly, watching her older cousin's motions.  
The eldest of the three did not respond, even as she heard the frog   
attempt to climb out of the large pit in the concrete of Crystal Music   
Academy's parking lot. "By the name of the Comets," she breathed, an   
invisible wind flowing around her body and musing her long hair, "I pray   
you to banish this creature to the other world."  
She opened her hand. Bright orange light poured down from the   
heavens and surrounded her.  
"Comet..."  
A giant ball of what seemed to be rock and fire appeared in the sky  
above her head.  
"Eternal..."  
The pit that had become the parking lot's center opened farther and   
began to fill with what appeared to be molten lava.  
"Fiery..."  
Orange light died. The ball began to waver. The frog roared out in   
pain and fury.  
"CRATER!"  
There was a crash as the boulder of fire and rock slammed into the   
large, round crater that had appeared. Lava and rock fragments splashed   
out of the gorge and landed about the lot. Smoke billowed out of the mess   
and encircled the area.  
When the dust and haze had cleared, nothing was left of the monster   
except a colossal, steaming pit in the center of what had once been the   
Academy's parking lot.  
"Wow!" exclaimed tiny Angel Moon with a gasp as she gaped, gray eyes  
wide, at the hole. She landed daintily beside the brown-haired Scout, red   
hair blowing in the slight breeze. "I didn't know you were THAT strong!"  
"Quite odd indeed," nodded Chibi-Pluto as she strode over to her two  
'partners,' Key Staff in hand. "What is an eternal fiery crater, dear   
Comet?"  
The Sailor Scout of the Comets just shook her head slowly, still   
staring in complete disbelief at the aftermath that her attack had caused.  
"I don't know what I did," she replied to the small girl, "but I do know   
one thing."  
The young Guardian of Time glanced up at her companion. "Which is?"   
she prompted.  
"My parents are going to KILL me."  
************  
  
Hannah climbed into the small, banana-yellow convertible quickly,   
avoiding the bright gazes of the two other women. Settling herself into   
the backseat, she prayed that her parents didn't attempt to strike up a   
conversation.  
It didn't work.  
"You know what this means, don't you?" questioned the blonde without  
turning around as she pulled the vehicle away from the curb.   
She tried to respond as quickly and nonchalantly as possible. She   
didn't want to discuss this. The memories from the last time were still   
burnt into her mind. "I do."  
"And?" The voice of the aqua-haired beauty was almost lost by the   
sound of the wind rushing about.  
Almost. Yet she could still hear her mother's prompt, and it echoed   
through her ears.   
She sighed and leaned against the black leather of the backseat,   
considering what reaction her answer would receive.  
Then again, she had to answer as anyone in her place would.  
"I believe that they need to do it alone this time," she stated, her  
purple eyes focusing on the bright sunshine that flowed down from the   
heavens. "I think that the only destiny they have is to stand up for   
themselves."  
The spark of a smile crossed the face of her blonde mother. "You   
know what, Hannah?"  
"What?"   
"I think that, this time, you're right."  
She smiled in return. The Outers were decided.  
************   
  
Her eyelids slowly fluttered open, only to see bright white. White?   
Nothing was white in her home! Where in the world was she?  
Her entire body ached something awful as she attempted to sit up.   
Twisting and writhing, she tried to get her bearings... But her sides   
burned, and there was something sharp plunged into her hand. An attempt to  
pull it out did nothing more than send the sharp feeling of pure pain   
shooting up her arm.  
She yelped out in pain and looked at the evil, pain-causing   
implement.  
It was an I.V.  
And it all made sense, suddenly.  
And, much to her absolute horror, she knew exactly where she was.  
"How the Hell did I get in the hospital?!" roared Tara, brushing her  
messy hair from her face as she searched her room desperately for someone   
who would know what was going on. "When I find the IDIOT who--"  
"And she rejoins the world of the living," sighed a deep, masculine   
voice from the doorway.  
The teen quickly turned her head toward the source and held back a   
gasp. The young man's tall form crossed the room toward a small, plastic   
chair beside the bed. And he offered forth a brown paper bag.  
Snatching it away, Tara tossed her hand indignantly. "You called the  
hospital on me?" she snorted, trying to sound as angry as possible...  
despite the fact she was actually flattered. "I've taken worse shots than  
THAT before..."  
"I would guess so, Sailor Earth," stated Sebastian with a slight   
smile, leaning back in his seat as he folded his hands in his lap. The   
pallor that quickly covered her face caused him to smile amusedly. "What?   
Did you think I wouldn't have figured it out once that giant bolt of green  
obliterated the monster, Tara?" He chuckled. "You have GOT to be kidding!"  
She held back her urge to start shaking and, instead, clutched the   
paper bag in her fists.  
Green light? That was impossible! There was no such thing that   
could... Unless...  
Slowly, Tara began to open the large bag, her breath coming in   
ragged gasps. She could feel the blue eyes of her companion staring, but   
she ignored it.  
The only thing with those magical properties was...  
And she wasn't...  
But, could it be that...  
Within the dark recesses of the bag, laying atop her tattered temple  
robes, was the Locket of the Earth.  
For a moment, she could swear that her heart stopped. A trembling   
hand cautiously reached toward the tiny tan-and-green disc. She was   
frightened that it would disappear if she moved too quickly. But...  
The metal was cool against her skin. An amazed smile crossed her   
face as she pulled it from the bag and shoved the rest of her belongings   
off the bed. She entire self was trembling, and yet...  
Yet...  
"Where did you get this?" she inquired of the young man beside her,   
bright eyes staring adoringly at him. "Surely..."  
"It appeared," he told her softly, reaching out and taking her free  
hand in one of his and squeezing it gently. "When you said the words,   
there was a flash of green light." He gestured toward the locket. "THAT,   
Tara, is what killed the monster and saved you." He slowly reached up and   
brushed a tear from one of her delicate cheeks. "Is something wrong?"  
All Tara could do for a moment was shake her head; her voice was   
caught in her chest, and it would not come. Then, after a long bout with   
silence, she chuckled.   
"I never thought," she whispered, the tears still falling down her   
face, "that this day would come. I never thought I would see this locket   
again."  
Sebastian raised a blonde eyebrow. "May I ask...why?"  
She sent him a sweet smile and shook her head once again. "Another   
time..." Then, she wiped the smile away and glanced about. "Where's Josh?"  
she questioned frantically, suddenly aware that she was missing her little  
sibling. "Is he okay? Is--"  
"Yes, he's FINE," stressed the blonde man, trying to calm her down   
as quickly as possible. "He went over to a friend's house... Someone named  
Mokoti, I think..." The relief that washed over her expression was too   
obvious to be missed. "Your father will be here shortly, and your mother   
has a meeting..." He furrowed his brow for a moment. "Something about   
Mistresses, maybe?"  
"A MEETING OF THE MISTRESSES?!" gasped Tara, trying desperately to   
pull the needle from her hand while climbing out of the bed. "Oh, Kami! I   
have to tell the others! And the cats and--"  
Her tall companion caught her around the waist and gently placed her  
back in the hospital bed. "You have three cracked ribs, Tara," Sebastian   
pointed out quickly before she had a chance to protest. "I don't want to   
see you hurt any more than you already are."  
She crossed her arms indignantly, completely annoyed. He didn't   
understand that it was a MISTRESS Meeting... He didn't comprehend...  
But he was looking out for her, which was...sweet...  
"Why not?" she spat, tossing her head of raven tresses as she spoke.  
Sighing, the young man set himself down on the bed beside her and   
wrapped an arm around her waist. "Because I feel a strange...pull...toward  
you, Miss Miko." A gasp escaped her lips, and he smiled. "And then, of   
course..."  
"What?"  
Sebastian leaned toward her and brought his lips toward her ear.   
"You also," he whispered in a low tone, "owe me a steak dinner."  
************  
  
"To think that there's a Meeting of Mistresses going on right this   
moment," sighed Phoebe, hugging a stuffed Kermit the Frog to her chest as   
she stared out her bedroom window. "I thought that we were beyond the   
point of relying on the Mistresses for everything." She shook her head   
slowly and laid down on her bed, hiding her head in her thick crimson   
quilt. "I guess I was wrong."  
Of her five companions, the first to respond was a rather average-  
looking teen with wavy auburn tresses. She glanced at the depressed braid-  
haired teen and snorted in annoyance. "You need to stop worrying about   
stuff like that!" exclaimed Alice with a roll of her bright walnut-colored  
eyes. "Whatever happens, happens! We can't stop those ridiculous women   
that we call our mothers any more than we can stop the wind or the rain!"  
Ice-blue eyes blinked in confusion. The Kino teen just muttered   
less-than-kind things under her breath, not trying to clarify her point.  
"I THINK," put in Haley quickly before an argument, as mock as it   
would be, broke out between the two, "that she meant to say...uhh..." She   
wrinkled her nose. "What exactly DID you mean this time, Al?"  
With a chuckle, Orion raised her furry head and glanced up at the   
brunette. "What Alice meant," she told the Sailor Scout of the Comets,   
"was that we can't stop the Mistresses." She rolled onto her stomach to   
turn her green eyes toward the indignant girl in the desk chair. "She   
meant that they, as you, are creatures born of free will."  
She flashed a charming smile at the teen in question. "Right,   
Alice?"  
"Something like that..." came the dejected reply.  
A teary-eyed Orb sniffled and adjusted his position on Phoebe's   
pillows. "I am just so proud of you girls," he croaked, trying vainly to   
wipe his running nose with a fuzzy paw. "Three years ago you were horrible  
excuses for warriors of love and justice--"  
Three teens glared, annoyed, at the orange-and-white ball of fur.  
"--but you're now actually proud, powerful Scouts!" He let a single   
tear escape his copper eyes. "I can't describe how pleased I am to see   
your improvement!"  
Sitting up, Phoebe clobbered him with the stuffed animal and sent   
him an annoyed glare. "Thanks for your faith, dear Guardian," she grumbled  
sarcastically.  
"Mercifully, the angel of cynicism appears," retorted the cat under   
his breath, receiving another smack in the head with a pillow in response.  
"Ow!" he exclaimed as the blow cracked him right across the nose. "Watch   
it, would you?"  
"Enough." The calico's command was stern and stubborn, as all   
commands had to be when centered on her Moon Cat mate. "We're here to   
discuss the Meeting of the Mistresses, NOT to beat Orb silly."  
The navy-haired teen crossed her arms over her chest and pouted   
playfully. "Phooey."  
With an haughty huff into his whiskers, the aforementioned Guardian   
glared at his charge. "Listen you, I--"  
A glare from his mate silenced him.  
Haley sighed and leaned back against the wall, her teal eyes staring  
contemplatively up at the ceiling. "In watching my parents," she commented  
half-heartedly, "I think that they believe in us."  
"Misplaced enthusiasm," grunted the auburn-haired smugly from her   
seat. She turned her half-closed eyes toward her older friend. "I heard my  
mother talking to Mrs. Mokoti today, and--"  
"Where IS Lyra, by the way?" interrupted the tomcat from his spot on  
the bed. Everyone turned to look at him, glances ranging from confused to   
annoyed. He shrugged off the looks and shrugged. "Just wondering! I   
haven't seen her in days!"  
Chewing on a thumbnail, the braid-headed teen cocked her head to one  
side. "She's been out of sorts ever since Tara abandoned us," she sighed,   
shaking her head a bit. "I worry about her..." She sent a meaningful   
glance at the auburn-haired one. "Or am I the only one who noticed?"  
Alice nearly fell off her seat as she tried to feign innocence.   
"She's a big girl!" she pleaded frantically, all color quickly draining   
from her face. "I didn't think that it was that big of a problem, given   
that she's just like that anyway and...and..." She batted her eyelashes   
innocently and snatched a pair of large, pink-rimmed sunglasses from   
Phoebe's desk, throwing them on haphazardly. "You wouldn't kill a Senshi   
in glasses, now would you?"  
"Give me those!" commanded the brunette on the floor. Deftly, she   
sprung to her feet and pulled the eyewear from her friend's face. Turning   
to face the youngest of the threesome, she glared daggers at Phoebe.   
"These are MINE!"  
Paling, the actress tried to hide herself under the quilt of her   
bed, inadvertently throwing her Guardian onto the floor. "I was going to   
give them back," she cowered, her icy eyes glancing at the floor. "I   
didn't think..."  
Haley grabbed a pillow and dove for her friend, instigating a   
scuffle. Alice, seeing that she was being ignored, took the opportunity to  
boot up the blue-haired girl's laptop computer and play video solitaire.  
From their places on the floor, the two Guardian Cats sighed and   
hung their heads.  
"Sometimes," grumbled Orion, "I wonder if they'll EVER make it."  
************  
  
"It has been three years," stated the Queen of the Earth softly, her  
tiny hands folded demurely on the tabletop, "since we have been together   
in this room. And now, we must make the same decision."  
All seven of the present Planet Mistresses adverted their gazes as   
their young Queen glanced about the room, trying to read expressions and   
pull emotions from eyes. While they'd all been taught as Senshi to hide   
their feelings under a mask of stone, it was hard hiding from Serenity.   
She wasn't just the Queen of the Earth; she was their friend and princess,  
a woman that each of them had, separately, died for.   
Smiling slightly, the blonde woman leaned back in her large oak   
chair. They could play these games for ages; in the end, she would win.  
"However, before we begin this Meeting of the Mistresses, I have an   
announcement."  
That statement caught their waning attentions. Each of the women   
raised a head, a sea of colorful eyes turning right toward the small, if   
powerful, woman. Serenity's smile was almost a smirk, and it made one fact  
blatantly obvious...  
Mistress Jupiter tossed her ponytail and reclined in her seat, arms   
crossed at the chest. "You're hiding something, aren't you?"   
A nod, and then:  
"Sailor Earth has returned."  
The response lacked in both dramatic pause and overall delivery, but  
the words meant enough to them all, regardless.  
For a reason left unexplained, the purple-garbed Mistress of Saturn   
went unsurprised by the announcement. The other Mistresses, however, were   
shocked past words.  
"Re...returned?" gaped Venus, always the first to recover, as she   
stared in shock at the Queen. "How on Earth could she have returned?"  
Silently, the Mistress of Destruction mouthed...  
"Miraculous Crisis Make Up," Serenity stated, words in perfect sync   
with the silent comment that the youngest Mistress was making. "We all   
remember that, do we not? In a time of desperation and need, I--"  
"Then how the HELL did it work for Earth?" interrupted the masculine  
woman from her spot between Neptune and Jupiter, not particularly noticing  
that she had entirely missed the point.  
Her aqua-haired wife shook her head slowly, sighing in exasperation   
as she placed a small hand on her partner's forearm. "'In a time of   
desperation and need,' dear," she repeated gently. "If Tara was in   
trouble--"  
"There was a monster," cut in Mars softly as she ran a shaking hand   
through her long, raven tresses. "I was told it just vanished, but now, it  
all makes sense."  
Silence washed over the room as the seven Mistresses pondered the   
meaning of their Queen's words. There was a question that all ached to   
ask, but not one could find their voice...  
Then, calmly, the Mistress of Mercury raised her navy eyes up from   
the table and glanced across the expanse of oak to stare her Queen   
straight in the face. "What does it mean?" she inquired timidly, as though  
afraid to speak.  
Neo-Queen Serenity smiled sadly and straightened her spine. Golden   
pigtails cascaded down her back as she took a deep breath and answered.  
"It means that the Galactic Sailors are ready to fight. And that   
means that this Meeting of Mistresses is now in order."  
************  
  
"I feel like we're the silent cheering section," grumbled Terrence   
miserably, his chin resting on a fist as he stared out the big picture   
window. "The people we love are about to go off to battle and we're stuck   
staring at the sunset."  
Rolling his bright green eyes, Chad leaned back in the recliner and   
held out his empty glass toward the single woman in the room. "Oh, Miss   
Urawa..."  
Marie flipped a strand of silver hair and snatched the cup away, but  
not before shooting Terry an EXTREMELY dirty look. "I don't believe you   
invited me over to serve you apes at YOUR OWN HOUSE," she growled in a low  
tone, her deep brown eyes sparkling dangerously.  
"It's not OUR fault," protested Brian as he juggled the baby in his   
arms. "All the women are out for the day."  
Muttering things to herself, she stormed out, glass in hand.  
Eric chuckled. "Did Hannah know what she was getting into BEFORE she  
married you?"  
The retort from his brother was low and quick in coming. "Does Haley  
know what SHE'S getting into?"  
All the men, both the young and the eternal, laughed at the blonde   
man's joke. Still, it was a nervous, forced laugh, and they all knew that   
someone would say 'it,' the thing they feared most.  
The man of choice was Ken. He rested his hands behind his head and   
sighed, shaking his head slightly. "Do you think that they'll fight   
again?" he questioned softly, looking to all the others for an answer. "We  
all remember LAST time."  
"They have to do it, though," put in Chad as he glanced at the   
auburn-haired adult. "They're fighting for so much this time."  
The Prince of Pluto nodded solemnly. "They're fighting for the   
past..."  
"And the present," put in Eric.  
The blonde with the fussy daughter sighed and gulped back tears.   
"And the future."  
A sigh sounded from the doorway, and the group of men turned their   
heads as one to focus on the silver-haired young woman who was leaning   
against the doorframe. Absently, she sipped some sort of pink liquid from   
a glass and stared out at the setting sun through the window.  
"I hope they win," she stated in a mournful tone. "I can't live   
without them."  
"Hey!" protested the shaggy haired temple-dweller as he watched the   
woman down the rest of her drink. "That's MY lemonade!"  
Marie tossed him the glass and rolled her brown eyes. "If you want   
it so bad," she responded, "get it yourself."  
************  
  
The room was silent. None of the Mistresses spoke. From Serenity's   
news of Sailor Earth's remarkable recovery, they knew that it was true.  
It was time for the Galactic Sailors to fight.  
On their own.  
"This is the hardest thing I will ever say," sighed Mistress Mercury  
in a hesitant tone as she raked a hand through her short hair, "but I   
think that the girls have to go this on their own."  
Her statement earned no response from the group of silent, apathetic  
women. Even Venus, who was usually both emotional and illogical during   
such meetings, had a certain calm, assured manner about her that was   
almost unsettling in nature.  
The Queen of the Earth had to physically hold back a smile,   
something that she had never done. Throughout her life, both Scout and   
Mistress Meetings had been filled with a certain...nervousness...that   
washed over all that attended. They'd oft forced smiles, trying to   
reassert their hopeful attitudes on life. And those smiles oft did no   
good.  
But, this time, Serenity knew. She could feel her whole self tingle   
with the excitement and certainty of this one decision. It was the first   
time in her thousand years of life that she could predict the outcome of   
their meeting.  
The Galactic Sailors would fight.  
"Yeah!" chimed in Uranus after a long pause. She slammed her hand   
into the tabletop for emphasis as she spoke. "Those girls are slightly   
bratty, especially the blue-haired one--"  
Mercury's pointed glare could be seen miles away.  
"--but they're confident and will certainly do well for our world!"   
Her gray-green eyes sparkled as she settled back into her chair. "And,"   
she continued, her voice a bit less eager, "though I hate to say it..."   
She shrugged. "If it meant saving the world, I would gladly let Haley have  
her death at Ginnie's hands."  
Neptune reached for her mate's hand and squeezed it gently, the   
silent pain in her bright, sea-colored eyes mixed with a certain amount of  
understanding. She would have said the same, certainly...  
"Alex is right," said Venus quite plainly as she played with a loose  
thread on her long, orange gown. Her azure eyes were filled with tears as   
she glanced up from her hands to gaze around the room at her fellow   
Mistresses. "I may not be very close to Lyra, anymore, but I have faith in  
her." She chuckled slightly at herself, wiping away a single, falling tear  
as she did so. "It's funny," she chortled, nearly hysteric, "but this   
reminds me of a song that I learned in junior high... 'No one told you   
that having faith is half the battle...'" Her head fell into her hands as   
she collapsed into tears.  
Hesitantly, Jupiter reached out and laid a hand on her friend's   
shoulder. "But they have to do this," the brunette softly reminded her.   
"All we can do, now, is watch..."  
"And that's the hardest part," Serenity put in as she forced back   
her own, slowly coming tears. "But we must let the Galactic Sailors   
fight." She gulped. "Because, if we don't..."  
"Then we die." The Mistress of Destruction said the words that no   
one else dared to say.  
And the other Mistresses all nodded.  
************  
  
"Hello?"  
The tension in the air was almost tangible as the two teens watched   
their younger friend answer the phone. Though it had only been an hour,   
they knew that the truth was coming.  
"Yeah. Mmm-hmm."  
The oldest of the threesome ran a hand through her long, brown   
tresses. Her teal eyes stared right at the girl with the braids,   
unblinking. This was it... The end--or beginning--of everything.  
"I understand."  
Auburn waves of hair cascaded about her face as she watched her   
blue-haired friend talking on the phone. Chestnut eyes were almost filled   
up with tears as she realized that it was time. Time to either fight or   
die...  
There was a click as Phoebe returned the burgundy receiver to its   
base. Leaning against the edge of the desk, she closed her icy eyes and   
sighed.  
"Well," drawled Alice with a wrinkle of her nose as she settled into  
her chair, "I suppose that we should have figured as much. They--"  
"Said we're to fight," finished the one with the navy tresses. She   
slowly opened one of her eyes and grinned. "They have faith enough to let   
us kill her, once and for all."  
The brunette had to physically suppress the urge to jump up and   
scream in elation. "Finally!" she announced, grinning widely. "I've been   
waiting my whole life for this! It's the beginning of everything!"  
From the bed, two Guardian cats sighed in unison. All three girls   
turned to glance at the furry beings that were their guardians, expecting   
either a rebuke or a congratulation.  
It was Orion who spoke, and they received neither.  
"This isn't necessarily the beginning of ANYTHING, girls," she   
reminded them in a considerate tone, deep green eyes staring directly at   
them in an effort, it seemed, to delve into the trio of young souls. "It   
could very well be the END of everything, including the world."  
Her mate nodded in agreement, golden Moon symbol glittering in the   
sunlight that was sneaking through the thick drapes. "You forget, girls,   
that you are warriors." He sighed and raised his copper eyes to glance at   
the ceilings. "And no one can go into a battle knowing the outcome, even   
if they ARE the Sailor Scouts."  
Haley's smile faded from her face as she understood what they meant.  
"So, we still have to a damned good job, right?"   
The calico rolled her eyes. "Not my choice of words, but yes."  
"And if this is the end of everything, then..." Alice pursed her   
lips uncertainly, a bit of apprehension in her tone.  
"Then at least we'll go out with a bang!" chimed in the blue-haired   
one, raising a single fist into the air. "After all, if WE go down, then   
we get to take the world down WITH us!" She grinned a toothy grin and   
winked at the last teen, who was still seated on the floor. "We won't miss  
a heartbeat of action either way, right?"  
Haley sighed miserably and hid her head in her hands. "Are we SURE   
that I belong here?"  
************  
  
"So, that's that," the girl stated softly as she rested her head on   
the shoulder of the young boy beside her. "We're to fight against Queen   
Ginnie and save the world from the darkness."  
The four Chibi-Scouts all sat amongst the pillows and stuffed   
animals atop Ambriel's impossibly large canopy bed, holding what could   
have very well been their last meeting. Celeste, the ever-mature leader of  
the Chibi-Scouts, was using Peter was a living pillow whilst Ambriel and   
Aeris both spread out on the bed, laying on their stomachs.   
For a moment, no one spoke. Then, the redheaded child, her   
expression placid and slightly unhappy, rested her chin in a hand and   
sighed.  
"I'm the silver in the Prophesy, you know," she casually volunteered  
as she wrinkled her small nose. "I'm the one who will go berserk when the   
light is slain."  
Nearly falling off the bed in shock, Aeris clambered to a sitting   
position and stared down at the older, though smaller, girl. "Why did you   
not tell us sooner?" she demanded in an angry tone, gaping at her fellow   
Scout and friend. "Why did you not reassure Richard and Lyra that--"  
She was silenced by a raised hand from the blonde. All eyes drifted   
to the oldest of the small Scouts as she closed her large forest-colored   
eyes and took a deep breath. "She figured that telling them would only   
worry us all," she responded to Aeris' ranting. A single eye cracked open   
once again. "Right?"  
Ambriel nodded slowly, the gray of her bright eyes sparkling with   
guilty tears.  
"And her mother WOULD be worried," pointed out the single boy as he   
raked a hand through his short hair. "Still, I don't see why you wouldn't   
tell US, your fellow Chibi-Scouts."  
The little Priestess chuckled and shook her head. "I wasn't sure how  
you would take the news," she replied softly, afraid to make eye contact   
with the still-fuming heiress of Pluto. "The light is most definitely   
Mother, as I've found from other references, and I didn't know..." She  
sighed and closed her eyes, holding in tears. "I'm going to loose my   
mother, and I might die as well."  
"But..." Peter bit his lower lip in thought, prompting his destined   
to rest a gentle hand on his knee. "But, the light will overcome the   
darkness...right?" The uncertainty in his voice belittled the hopeful   
quality of the question.  
"The Prophesy is not necessarily going to come true," his sister   
stated softly, a nervousness in her tone that was quite unbecoming of the   
Keeper of Time. "There can always be false prophecies, and with them can   
come false hopes." She gulped and forced a smile, but the sorrow--and   
fear--in her bright, colorful eyes did nothing to wipe away the trembling   
in her words. "We had best be careful on our mission to defeat that which   
is called the darkness." There was a pause, and then she smiled slightly.   
"And," she added as an afterthought, "we had best protect Ambriel, as   
well. She is, after all, our light of hope."  
The Master of Time nodded and leaned back against the sea of pillows  
at the front of the bed. "We have to do this, or else..."  
"Or else," supplied the Keeper of the Nebulae, "we're toast."   
************  
  
She fidgeted in annoyance, not a habit she was entirely happy about   
having. Where were they? A glance at her watch revealed that it was, after  
all, only four in the afternoon, so it wasn't as though the couple would   
be out and about. And no monsters had appeared after the Mistress   
Meeting...  
Making a face, she depressed the buzzer button once again, holding   
it down and letting the annoying, mechanical sound echo through her ears.  
Her icy eyes glared at the closed door.  
Then, it FINALLY swung open.  
"Thank GOD, Lyra," she sighed, brushing a blue braid from her eyes   
and stepping into the foyer of the apartment without invitation. "I've   
been waiting for a long time!" She slipped off her shoes quickly, not   
really looking at her companion. "I just HAD to tell you that the   
Mistresses have made their decision and--"  
Then, she froze.  
Before her, in all her curly-haired glory, stood young Lyra Mokoti.  
Her chest-length ringlets cascaded sloppily around her face and down her   
front, tangled and mused. A large terrycloth robe, probably Richard's,   
hung limply from her small form. The belt was tied into a loose, messy   
knot, and was already slowly slipping undone. Ivory skin showed at the   
long V-neck of the robe, and was so close to...  
Phoebe paled and backed up. "Am I interrupting...something?" she   
gulped nervously.  
Shaking her head very, very quickly, the blonde blushed a tiny bit   
and ran a hand through her mane of hair. "No, no," she responded   
sheepishly, not bringing her brown eyes to meet the gaze of her friend.   
"I was just...uhh...getting ready to take a shower. Yeah, a shower, a nice  
long one and--"  
"There's not water running," pointed out the teen with the navy   
locks, a slightly devious grin creeping across her face.  
Lyra's blush deepened. "I...turned the water off!" she exclaimed as   
swiftly as she could, casting brief glances down the hall with every   
passing statement. "I didn't want to waste the water because of the little  
fishies in the sea and you know what they say about the deep blue oceans  
drying up and what would Sailor Neptune do without her sea, I mean, she'd   
be lost and she'd have to use Shallow Submerge or something and..."   
Laughter cut her off as the braid-headed one clutched her sides and   
doubled over, giggling almost helplessly. Chestnut eyes lowered   
dangerously at the dramatic girl as she fell to her knees, absolutely   
guffawing. A scowl crossed a pale face.  
"WHAT?"  
"Star..." whined a new voice, and both heads snapped to see a boxer-  
clad Richard standing beside his girlfriend. His red hair was just as   
messy as those tresses of his destined, and he looked rather...smug, was   
it?   
Phoebe coughed and straightened up, staring at him with increasing i  
nterest. The young man didn't catch the wolfish grin and wrapped an arm   
around his sweetheart's waist. 'Star' paled and hid her head in her hands.  
"Explain THIS one, Lyra," chuckled the actress with a wink.  
He suddenly understood.  
Scratching his head, he feigned a yawn. "I was going to take a   
nap," he managed rater smoothly, pulling his arm away from his girlfriend   
and starting back toward the hall. "Boy, am I sleepy..."  
"Don't look too sleepy to me, Princey-boy," grinned Phoebe, looking   
him over very slowly.  
He looked himself over as well...and then paled. "Ummmm... Bye!"  
Lyra held back a sob. Her friend flashed her a brilliant smile.  
"Be seein' ya... Have...fun..."  
As the door closed, with laughter echoing down the hall of the   
apartment building, Lyra clenched her fists and started toward the   
hallway. "You HAD to blow our cover, didn't you?" she screamed. "You just   
HAD to show up and open your FAT mouth and..."  
Her voice carried through the apartment and, as she heard the yells   
from the far side of the door, Phoebe smiled.  
************  
  
Thunder crackled as the black-garbed woman slowly landed on the   
thick, fluffy whiteness of the cumulus cloud. Her tall, leather boots shot  
up from her thin ankles to meet the hem of her short, thigh-length skirt.   
Her shirt, tunic light with long sleeves and certain, sorceress type flare  
to it fluttered in the strong, stormy wind. Behind her, a black   
thunderhead sent bolts of lightning toward the Earth. She ignored the   
sounds of thunder and pelting rain as a single word came her lips.  
"Sister."  
There was a glittering flash of light as the Angel of the Moon   
appeared, her shimmering silver tresses whipping about her in the breeze   
as she glared at the shorter, black-covered woman. The disdain in her gaze  
was utterly impossible to hide as she clamped her hands together at waist   
level, trying to seem as composed as possible.  
But the ice in her voice was frightening. "You have come to tell me   
that the Sailor Scouts will come to your lair, no?" she asked bitterly,   
her tone almost that of a mother rebuking her small child. "Well, Ginnie,   
I knew of that before you even turned up near my realm, so I would   
appreciate if--"  
She was cut off by a deep, throaty laugh coming from the dark one.   
Brushing strands of windswept brown-black hair away from her face, the   
Queen of Evil shook her head, eyes filled with mirth. "No, no, dear   
Amber," she responded rebukingly, leaning back into midair and yet not   
falling. "I just came to remind you that I will win."  
"I think not, SISTER," the Angel spat, the last word like flint to   
both sets of airs. "I will not let you win. My daughter and the daughter   
of the Gold Moon will triumph, as you will soon see." Her azure eyes   
lowered to slits as she took a single step forward and caught the shorter,  
muscular woman by the shirt-collar. "You have lost before, to me, and now   
you will do so again!"  
There was a flicker of bright yellow as the black-clothed one   
disappeared and reappeared behind the Angel, Amber. With a single kick,   
she tripped the woman and smiled as the taller, lithe woman fell right   
onto the ground. She landed hard on her posterior with a yelp, blue eyes   
immediately welling up with tears.  
"Says you!" chuckled Ginnie right before she disappeared.  
************  
  
"Well," sighed Sailor Moon as she leaned against the large oak tree,  
"it looks like it's time to stage a full infiltration." She buffed her   
long, magenta-painted fingernails on her fuku, a casual cool about her   
that was almost frightening. "Are we all ready?"  
The Galactic Sailors, missing only their 'lost Scout' Earth and the   
Chibi-Scouts, nodded in startling unison. Even the Starlit Prince and   
Helios were present, though each man chose to keep a strange closeness to   
their destined loves.   
But, as always, the red-and-orange garbed Phoenix was the first to   
respond. "There's only one thing that could make me MORE ready," she   
stated languidly as she admired her slightly scuffed orange ballet   
slippers, "and her name is T--"  
"Ow!" yelped a voice from across the area, interrupting the glib   
commentary from the actress. All heads turned to see a familiar teen,   
clad in a tan-and-green Sailor fuku, limping across the gardens. Helping   
her walk was an impossibly tall, tanned young man with bright, smiling   
blue eyes.   
No one needed to ask to know who it was.  
"Tara!" screamed Sailor Polaris in disbelief, her jaw dropping as   
she saw the taller girl at the other end of the gardens. A raven-haired   
head snapped up and green eyes clashed with brown as the two Scouts stared  
at one another.  
And then, without warning, Sailor Earth let go of her male companion  
and rushed toward the shortest Galactic Sailor, catching her in a tight   
hug.  
The auburn-haired teen blinked a few times, and her mouth hung open.  
"Oh my God," she gaped, wide-eyed. "I don't believe it."  
"If you open your mouth any further," kidded Comet with a wink,   
"you'll catch some flies."  
Her only response was an elbow in the ribs.  
It was a long moment before the Sailor Scout of the North Star   
released her friend, only to find that Earth's face had contorted in pain   
and the younger girl was clutching her ribs in agony. "You alright, Tara?"  
questioned the curly-haired blonde as she watched her friend double over.   
"Cracked...ribs..." grunted Earth, and it was only a matter of   
seconds before the strange young man rushed to her side and wrapped an   
arm around her waist.  
Pulling herself away from the tree trunk, Sailor Moon pushed a pink   
pigtail from her pale face and circled the tall teen and her masculine   
companion, giving the entire scene a stern once-over. Her red eyes lowered  
slightly in the direction of the blonde man. "And who, pray tell, are   
YOU?" she demanded of the stranger.  
Helios sighed in exasperation; she was obviously trying to scare the  
poor boy. "Maiden..."  
But the tall young man didn't miss a heartbeat as he offered forth a  
hand. "Sebastian Yoshiko," he introduced himself with a brave smile. His   
blue eyes twinkled. "I'm Sailor Earth's dinner date for next week."  
The raven-haired Scout blushed deeply and stared at the ground. But   
Moon took the hand and shook it proudly, her glare and stony expression   
fading to a huge smile and excited cinnamon eyes. "Well then, pleased to   
meet you!"  
All the other Scouts let out breaths they hadn't noticed that they'd  
been holding.  
"I wouldn't figure that Tara would have a boyfriend," whispered the   
braid-headed Phoenix to Aurora Borealis as they watched the goings-on from  
under a ginkgo tree.   
The auburn-haired one cocked her head to one side, raising a single,  
thin eyebrow. "And why exactly wouldn't she?" asked she, a bit confused.  
Her companion shrugged. "I just figured that a Shinto priestess   
might...hmmm..." She fumbled her sentence as she tried to search for the   
perfect word. "Um... Might... 'blow the other way,' so to speak."  
Snorting, the Sailor Scout of Light tossed her head and let a   
devious smile cross her face. "You'd like that, now wouldn't you?"  
Phoenix paled slightly and would have spat a quick retort had not   
another person spoken first.  
"The time has come," stated a young, strong voice from behind the   
group, "to fight or be killed."  
Heads turned to see a girl, no older than nine, dressed in a fuku of  
the purest gold. Her perfectly blonde tresses were pulled into a tight   
bun at the nape of her neck. With her golden staff clutched in one white-  
gloved hand, the child was the very picture of maturity.   
The Starlit Prince blinked blue eyes through his mask, staring.   
"Celeste?" he asked, amazed.  
From behind the Keeper of the Nebulae came the two Pluto twins and   
Angel Moon. The slight breeze ruffled the hair of the other three   
children, but none of them seemed all too concerned.   
"It is time," stated Sailor Chibi-Pluto as she stepped forward,   
toward the group. The Garnet Orb of her Key Staff glittered in the   
sunlight as her colorful eyes glanced from one Scout to another. "As the   
Guardian of Time, I suggest we depart immediately."  
Aurora Borealis snorted in amusement and tossed her head. "And, as a  
freaky little girl, what do you suggest?" she mumbled under her breath.  
Black eyes turned her way, peering at her through half-lowered,   
tanned eyelids. "I heard that," the green-haired girl growled in a low   
tone. The teen immediately began to squirm under the intense gaze, which   
caused the heiress of Pluto to grin. Black turned to blue as she closed   
her eyes and cocked her head to one side. "And I suggest the exact same   
thing!" she laughed, a certain peppiness to her voice that was   
frighteningly unusual.  
The Galactic Sailors laughed, taken in by the girl's antics.   
However, they all knew it to be a clever façade, designed to help hide   
their waning faith.   
But they let the façade sink in, and even continued to smile once   
the overall effect of the joke had worn off. Even the stern, stone-faced   
Keeper smiled slightly, letting her other self take the reigns for just a   
brief second.  
And then, Sebastian shared a gentle hug with Sailor Earth and backed  
away from the group, wishing all the warriors luck... And sending a threat  
to the returning Scout, did she NOT come back...  
As the Scouts fell into a circle and joined hands, Angel Moon sighed  
and poked her mother, Sailor Moon, in the ribs. "You know what this place   
needs, Mama?" she questioned off-handedly, as though the thought had just   
popped into her head.  
"What is that?" came the return from the pink-pigtailed Scout.  
"Birds." The statement was short and precise. "This place is really   
lacking in birds."  
Sailor Moon chuckled and reached down, ruffling the child's hair   
before taking her hand.  
Silence washed over the group, and the uncertainty that they had   
tried, so hard, to push away came bubbling back to the surface. Still, one  
by one, they joined hands, friendship and love mingling together with   
destiny for one long moment.  
Then, forcing a smile, Sailor Polaris winked at the raven-haired   
one beside her. "Once we beat Ginnie," she commented cheerily, "you'll   
have to explain how you came back."  
"But first, we've got to teach her a lesson!" grinned Sailor Phoenix  
with a flip of her messy braids.  
The Scout next to her rolled brown eyes and shook her head. "You   
hope, don't you?" she questioned as the wind pressed her navy skirt   
against her thighs.  
"It'll be a total take-over!" Comet announced brightly.  
"The end of evil!" chimed in the Princess of the Earth with a   
charming, if fake, smile.  
Sailor Polaris nodded solemnly, her grin fading away as she looked   
to her friends. "This," she stated plainly, "is for the world."  
"And," nodded Tara, "for us."  
There was a collective nod as twelve sets of eyes closed. Invisible,  
powerful energy began to crackle about the area as the warriors prepared   
to travel to the hardest battle yet. The wind picked up, ruffling skirts,   
hair, and capes, but yet they stayed still and focused.  
"Moon Galactic Power!"  
"Earth Galactic Power!"  
"Polaris Galactic Power!"  
"Phoenix Galactic Power!"  
"Aurora Borealis Galactic Power!"  
"Comet Galactic Power!"  
"Small Star Galactic Power!"  
"Pluto Galactic Power!"  
"Angel Moon Galactic Power!"  
"In the name of the Silver Star!"  
"In the name of Elysion!"  
"In the name of Time!"  
Colors shot out from each and every of the bodies, flying high into   
the air and mingling together. The soil beneath their feet spilt and then   
broke, with grass rising in the air as twelve voices united as one.  
"Sailor Teleport!"  
************  
  
Sailor Pluto hesitated as she saw the giant helicopter looming   
before her. As many times as she had lived through these goings-on, it was  
always hard. She was signing her death certificate.   
But she'd done so before. And she'd do it again.  
"Pluto?" questioned the young aqua-haired woman.  
Smiling, the Senshi of Time climbed into the Ten'oumaru and forced   
back her sigh. Deep in the marrow of her bones, she could feel the pull of  
destiny.  
The Galactic Sailors were going to defeat the darkness.  
Drawing in a sharp breath, she let the lurching of the helicopter   
into the air take over her entire consciousness. She could not worry for   
them.  
But, nonetheless, she managed to mumble two words into the breeze.  
"It starts."  
************  
  
No Galactic Sailors Say, today. Once again, I got a little too   
long-winded. ^_^  
  
-I Know-  
Look around...  
(Ambriel stares down at Tokyo from the top tower of Crystal Palace)  
So many things aren't clear...  
(Aeris and Peter stand before the Gate of Time with terrified   
expressions)  
Don't worry, though...  
(Haley smiles and turns a page in her book)  
You know that I'll be there...  
(Orion and Orb chase after the kittens)  
A lot of things are so uncertain...  
(Tara, near tears, bites her lip)  
The future's on its way...  
(Michelle holds Delaney, an amazed smile on her face)  
Look into my crying eyes...  
(Reeny wipes tears off her cheeks while Serenity watches nervously)  
Don't take your love away!  
(Alice slams the door in her father's face)  
  
Sometimes, the road looks long...  
(Lyra looks up at the North Star)  
And sometimes, the world seems wrong...  
(Phoebe hugs her mother around the waist)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(The six Galactic Sailors hold up their lockets)  
  
Sometimes, you feel weak...  
(Richard grabs onto the wrist of a falling Celeste)  
And sometimes, the future looks bleak...  
(Terrence shakes his head as Sailor Pluto walks through the Gate of Time)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(Ambriel, Celeste, and Aeris all hold up their transformation pens)  
  
Times will change...  
(Tara, robes flying, chases Joshua around the courtyard)  
People will change, too...  
(Haley plays with her now-long hair)  
But deep inside...  
(Helios takes Reeny's hands in his)  
I always will love you...  
(Richard bends down to kiss Lyra)  
I suppose there are questions now...  
(Peter tugs on Terrence's pant leg)  
The answers are so far...  
(Alice and Phoebe dive for a floating sphere and miss)  
But look at me and smile now...  
(Hannah and Brian both smile as Alex takes Delaney into her arms)  
I am your guiding star!  
(Lyra and Richard stare at Celeste and Peter, who are watching the sunset)  
  
Sometimes, the road looks long...  
(Lyra looks up at the North Star)  
And sometimes, the world seems wrong...  
(Phoebe hugs her mother around the waist)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(The six Galactic Sailors hold up their lockets)  
  
Sometimes, you feel weak...  
(Richard grabs onto the wrist of a falling Celeste)  
And sometimes, the future looks bleak...  
(Terrence shakes his head as Sailor Pluto walks through the Gate of Time)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(Ambriel, Celeste, and Aeris all hold up their transformation pens)  
  
I know...  
(Chibi-Pluto, the Angel Moon, and Chibi-Star stand together)  
I know...  
(The Galactic Sailors stand together)  
All you need is love...  
(All nine girls stand together)  
All you need...is...love...  
(The Prince and Princess of the Stars kiss)  
************  
  
Alright! Next time, we fight Ginnie! Hotcha!  
  
Side note: Haruka's helicopter in the manga is named the "Ten'oumaru."   
I'm guessing that it means "Ten'ou copter." Whatever the case, I borrowed   
that. And I'm sure you ALL know what's going to happen with Susan, because  
they got that far in the dubbed S, but ha-ha-ha, maybe you don't!  
  
--Kate  



	13. The Symphony's End

The Symphony's End  
  
Author's Ramblings: Well, this is it. The second-to-last Galactic Story.   
Okay, well, it's TECHNICALLY the third-to-last, maybe forth (the epilogue   
MAY be a two-parter... Heh... Heh... Hn.) Well, whatever the case, this is   
Ginnie's episode. So it's all dedicated to our evil Queen, and feel free to   
praise her at hotarusilence@yahoo.de After all, if she's made it THIS far,   
she deserves some loving from the Galactic fans out there... All three of   
you, at least. ^_^  
--  
In other news, this fic (like 13, but let us never speak of that foul   
failure of a story again) uses a song. A song I wrote. But (surprise!) it's   
not "I Know!" (By the way, "I Know All you Need is Love" happens to be a   
Magic Knights Rayearth song, or so some site said. Are ALL the good song   
names taken?) This song is...well, it's odd, tentatively called "Heart   
Matters" (okay, I need a better name for that, too), and I would use it as   
a Gals opening song... If Gals were an anime series. However, it isn't, but   
if anyone wants to send these stories to Naoko, well, find me her e-addy and  
I'll take care of the rest! Point: "Heart Matters" is the song, written by   
me, and it actually has a tune (the tune I sing it to), but that's about it   
on the info.  
--  
Boy, I rambled A LOT today!   
--  
Well, I hope you liked 26. And I hope this story goes well (I write all   
Ramblings before the fic and then just let the story happen; I'm a method   
author, okay?). Because, if it does, it'll end with a BANG!  
--  
Yours,   
Kate  
************  
If you didn't read story 26, go back and read it. You're missing a lot,   
otherwise, and these re-caps are SO stupid that I quit doing them. And I'm   
allowed to do that. Because I'm the author.  
  
And that, my friends, is where the story begins...  
************  
  
Clinging onto your impossible dreams...  
************  
  
"Well, this is it," sighed the small, tan animal as he stared out the   
window at the rapidly darkening sky. It seemed as though that, ever since   
Ambriel had disappeared and spoken with the Angel of the Moon, thunder had   
rocked the city of Crystal Tokyo regularly. Even in the Saturday-morning   
sunlight, a gentle reprieve from the swiftly coming darkness, rumbles of   
thunder had echoed through the air.  
It was an omen if he'd ever seen one.  
His green-furred littermate rested her chin on her long legs, sighing.  
Her lavender eyes were bloodshot, and he was certain that she'd gotten no   
sleep since Ambriel's arrival at the house full days before. "As they say:   
'All good things never end.'"  
Blue-eyed Carina wrinkled her pink nose and sat stark up on the   
ottoman. "But, Ara," she protested loudly, "that's 'all good things must   
come to an--'"  
She was silenced by the glare of two sparkling, purple eyes. "It's   
whatever I say it is, bucko," growled the green one in a low tone. "WHATEVER  
I say it is."  
"I worry, you know," commented Cassiopeia from her seat on the back of  
the couch as she, like her brother, watched the lightning flash across the   
sky. "They all mean so much to us, that I worry..."  
Galileo snorted. "They mean more to the future," he rebuked the silver  
kitten, "than they do to us." His ears flinched back as the firmament burst   
open and rain began to pour down on the Earth, the splattering echoing from   
the roof of the Ten'ou-Hartford-Chiba household all the way down to the   
foundation. He sighed and shook his head slowly. "Without them, the world   
wears a giant 'vacant' sign for the evil of the universe."  
Nodding solemnly in agreement, Ara closed her bright eyes. "That's   
what WE were created for," she reminded the two smaller, less sage kittens.   
"We are to protect all that through our wisdom and strength."  
"And so?" prompted little Carina, cocking her head in the direction of  
her siblings."  
"And so," responded the single male kitten, "it's all up to them,   
now."  
************  
  
Where nothing is as it seems...  
************  
  
The bright streams of light gave into darkness as the group of fuku-  
clad Sailor Scouts landed in a darkened hallway. Stalactites hung from the   
ceiling, dangerously close to the heads of the taller warriors, and water   
dripped from the ceiling down to the floor. The only fathomable light poured  
from a few, crude torches that hung from the walls, and even those cast   
nothing more than an eerie glow.  
However, it took no prompting for the Keeper of the Nebulae to thrust   
her staff into the air. There was the soft whisper of foreign, arcane words   
before the golden star atop the long rod alit and cast a bright glimmer of   
light down on all twelve people.  
Sailor Moon was the first to act. "Is everyone present and accounted   
for?" she questioned nervously, glancing around for and then finding Helios.  
The Starlit Prince found his Princess. Aurora Borealis and Phoenix   
nodded to one another. Comet and Earth exchanged wary glances, and the   
Chibi-Scouts all huddled around their Keeper, basking in the warm glow of   
the staff.  
"Good, then I guess we're okay." The pink-haired leader leaned up   
against the wall of the corridor, obviously deep in thought. "The next   
question, then, would be--where are we?"  
Sailor Phoenix pulled her computer and VR-visor from null-space and   
immediately began punching buttons. "I'm trying," she informed the group,   
"to get an accurate location reading along with a scanned map of the entire  
area, but it could be a few moments." She wrinkled her nose and began   
tapping her toe on the ground. "Or a bit longer than that... I shouldn't   
have downloaded that MP3 the other day..."  
The general response from her offhand comment were groans and moans,   
but it was Helios, clad in a silver tunic and a pair of billowy pants, who   
didn't retort to her comment. Instead, he closed his bright eyes and let out  
a deep breath, slowly focusing his energy. Both Moon and Earth, the two   
Scouts on either side of him, stared blankly.  
"Does your boyfriend ALWAYS do stuff like that?" mumbled Aurora   
Borealis as she watched the young man go completely still and silent.  
Rolling her teal eyes, Comet stepped hesitantly forward and tossed her  
hair behind her shoulders. "I think we should press forward," she put in to   
the group, obviously hoping for some agreement. "Standing around, we're just  
sitting du--"  
It was then that the silver-haired priest's eyes snapped open and,   
without movement, he stuck out an arm. By doing so, he cut off a good three-  
fourths the hallway's width, causing the impatient teen to scowl. "I   
wouldn't move ANYWHERE if I were you," he protested in a low-pitched tone.   
"This area's very unstable."  
There was a beep from the computer as he said this, and the blue-  
haired teen suddenly found it necessary to nod at his insistence upon   
staying put. "This isn't your average doom-ridden corridor," she spoke up,   
scrolling through the lines of information while trying to read her   
findings. "From what I can tell, this is a twisted dimension that's very   
loosely based off both Earth and..." She gulped. "And Hell."  
All heads turned to face her, and she nodded cautiously, her icy eyes   
never leaving the screen. "This place is directly connected to Earth,   
somehow," she continued very, very apprehensively. "And, while we are still   
attached to Earth, this is a very unstable dimension. It could easily   
collapse on us, and..."  
"And?" croaked the Master of Time as he huddled beside the Keeper of   
the Nebulae.  
"And..." She gulped once again and tried to hide the trembling of her   
hands. "If it collapses, we go with it."  
All the Galactic Sailors and their related male counterparts drew in   
nervous breaths and peered down the hallway, unmoving. A few long, uncertain  
moments went by in which nothing beyond the clatter of fingers on keys could  
be heard in the area... Not even the panted breath of a group of extremely   
frightened young men and women could be noticeable.  
"But," the braid-headed Scout suddenly put in, triumphantly, "if we're  
careful about what we do and can make it upstairs, then the space will be   
more stable."  
Her auburn-haired friend blinked. "Where in the Hell are we, then?"   
she demanded.  
"From what I can tell...the basement."  
There was assorted swearing and comments about deities before the   
Keeper of the Nebulae started down the hall, taking the light with her.   
"Then," she told the group, "we must go."  
And, where light went, they followed.  
************  
  
In a world where light is often hidden by darkness...  
************  
  
"Okay, that's it, we're officially LOST."  
Sailor Phoenix elbowed the auburn-haired girl in the ribs as the group  
slowly trudged down the hallway. There wasn't much room to walk, seeing as   
it was a rather thin corridor, so the Galactic Sailors and the three male   
members of their group were rather crammed for space; they couldn't really   
spread out, unless they wanted to be bathed in darkness rather than the   
light of the Staff of Nebulae. Long ago, the torches on the wall had   
literally disappeared, a sure sign that the part of Ginnie's lair they were   
in was pretty much unused.   
Sailor Aurora Borealis scoffed at the comment and rolled her brown   
eyes. "We've SEEN this set of stalactites FOUR times!" she complained   
loudly.  
"No, we have not," stated the Keeper of the Nebulae as she turned a   
green-eyed glare toward the whining Scout. "This space is designed to make   
us think that way, but there are no curves or corners."  
Sailor Earth nodded in agreement, her olive eyes peering into the   
darkness. "We couldn't be going in a circle if there's not a circle to go   
in."  
"Thank you Sailor Obvious," mumbled Sailor Comet under her breath.  
Silence swept over the group of warriors as they continued their   
trudge through the damp, dank hall, footfalls and heartbeats echoing through  
their ears. The light from the Staff of Nebulae was hardly bright enough to   
see by, and it seemed to dim a bit as each passing moment went by. It   
wouldn't be long before the gold-garbed child controlling the light would   
run out of energy and lose her ability to illuminate their path. And no one   
wanted to see that.  
However, after a few minutes of walking passed, the Galactic Sailors   
found themselves at a crossroads of sorts.  
Three stairwells, each black as night, stood at the end of the   
corridor.  
Phoenix glanced down at her computer screen and then to the pink-  
haired leader. "From what I can tell," she stated, peering at the older teen  
through her blue goggles, "these stairs will all lead to the same place in   
the end. It's just a matter of time..."  
"And peril," added in the Keeper of the Nebulae, letting the star on   
her staff go dark. Miraculously, a glow from above them, presumably torches   
that lit the stairs, cast enough light to see by. Green eyes closed as the   
girl took in a deep breath, trying to regain some of her lost energy. "I   
suggest we spilt up and conquer."  
The Starlit Prince nodded in agreement. "Polaris and I will take the   
Keeper and the Master of Time up the first step of stairs." He glanced down   
at the short, curly-haired Scout. "Is that alright?" he questioned in a soft  
tone."  
"Fine." The word was like flint, the tone of a battle-hardened soldier  
ringing through the area.  
Sailor Moon touched the hilt of her sword and nodded slightly. "Then   
Helios and I will take both Angel Moon and Sailor Phoenix, going the middle   
route."   
"Where the leader goes, the computer goes," someone muttered in   
annoyance. Eyes turned to glance at Aurora Borealis, who was leaning against  
the slimy stone wall, brown eyes half closed. She did nothing more than   
grunt.  
Brushing hair from her face, the Scout of the Comets looked to the   
last set of steps. "Then Chibi-Pluto, Earth, and Aurora Borealis will be   
coming with me."  
The leader pulled her sword free of its scabbard, the silvery metal   
gleaming in the dim illumination. "As soon as you get upstairs, break into a  
run," she commanded of the group. "We have to get to the epicenter of this   
place as soon as we can, and destroy it."  
Her prince's blue eyes closed slowly as, once again, he attempted to   
sense the structure of the strange dimension. "It will be safer above," he   
volunteered, backing-up Phoenix's earlier ruling. "We should be able to   
force our way into her throne room."  
"Then, I suggest we do so," stated Chibi-Pluto softly, her hand   
gripped tightly around the Key Staff of Time. "From what I can feel of the   
Time-Space Continuum, were are very low on time."  
"I feel a disturbance, too," put in Angel Moon, her feathery wings   
fluttering a bit as she spoke. "But I can't put my finger on it."  
Earth put her boot-covered foot on a step and glanced up the stairs.   
"To destiny, then," she breathed, beginning her assent.  
The others all gulped and nodded.  
************  
  
All you have is a wing and a prayer...  
************  
  
Her perfectly silver tresses were mused by the wind as she stood,   
motionless, before the large, black thunderhead. Her blue eyes were angry   
and glaring, her face a stony mask of scorn as she stared at the black   
garbed woman who was sitting, long legs crossed, on the edge of said cloud.   
A large, black crown was perched upon her head, and glimmering jewels of all  
colors rimmed the headgear. Brown eyes glinted evilly as the dark one cupped  
her hands to her mouth.  
"Well, dear Amber," she called out, deep voice crossing the gap   
between the duo, "it seems as though you are once again going to fail!" She   
laughed, her giggle falsely demure, and then rested her chin on a fist. "I   
can't say that I'll miss the trouble your little child has caused me, once   
she dies." Evil Queen Ginnie sighed and shook her head in mock   
disappointment. "It will be a shame, a real shame...for you, at least."   
The Angel of Moon folded her pale hands at her waist, wrinkling the   
smooth white robes she wore. Her azure eyes were a glare, but the tears of   
fear and loathing in them made her vision all the blearier. And yet, she   
managed to stand stern, her resolve never wavering. "I swear to you,   
Ginnie," she growled, her soprano voice echoing through the clouds, "as both  
a priestess and a mother, I will make sure you die." She clenched her own   
hand tightly, long nails breaking skin and drawing tiny rivulets of crimson   
blood. "If Serenity and her friends cannot do it, and if Ambriel cannot do   
it, either, than I will personally slit your throat and bathe in your   
blood."  
If she had the capacity to be truly proud, the small, dark one would   
have swelled with pride. However, she had long ago taught herself to ignore   
such treacherous emotions. Instead, she smirked, baring her white fangs.   
"But, dearest sister," she remarked in a falsetto tone, her smirk   
unmistakably cruel, "you are dead. Killed by a fallen angel, if I'm not   
mistaken."  
Her glare deepening, the white-garbed one took a step forward and   
raised a fist at the other woman. The blood from her self-inflicted wounds   
was slowly seeping into her thick robes, leaving a foreboding burgundy   
splotch amongst pure whiteness. "We are both the fallen!" she exclaimed   
ruefully. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she tried desperately to push   
them away. "Mother betrayed Heaven by being with a human and, while I tried   
to save us both, you ruined our chance for redemption!"  
Ginnie tossed her head haughtily. "There is no such thing as   
redemption," she scoffed, "when you're dealing with a counsel of spoiled   
angels."  
Amber was about to respond, but was silenced by a single hand from the  
black one. "Besides," continued the Queen of Darkness as she leaned back   
against her cloud, one hand to her chest, "while YOU sit here and tell   
yourself complacent things about being the Angel of the Moon, I am trying to  
seek revenge on the species that caused our mother to fall!" She laughed   
evilly, her cackles carrying through the air as, slowly, her cloud began to  
back away from the marshmallowy-whiteness of the Angel's miniature heaven.   
"It IS a pity, though," she sighed with a slight shake of her head. "You   
would have made a very nice angel, in the end."  
************  
  
And you hope that you'll make it there...  
************  
  
"So, where exactly are we?" questioned Sailor Aurora Borealis as they   
made their way down the corridor.  
The hallway was made of black marble, just as the one in the basement   
had been. At even, precise intervals, large torches hung from the walls,   
charred black from years of use. The fire from those torches cast a bright,   
almost surreal light on the four young heroines as they strode down the   
hallway.   
Every so often, there would be a stone door, closed, on one side of   
the hall. Beside those doors were electronic keypads that, according to   
Sailor Chibi-Pluto, had been rendered useless. However, on a closer   
inspection, it seemed as though someone had crudely cut the wires behind the  
pads and--without the technical knowledge of Sailor Phoenix--they were at a   
loss to restore the high-tech system.  
The doors remained closed.  
They were, in fact, coming up on another of those doors as Sailor   
Earth turned her head to glance at the languid auburn-haired one. "We're in   
the living quarters," she wagered as she drew and gloved had through her   
messy tresses. "On the second floor. And we're hopefully on our way to   
Ginnie, too."  
"I would be willing to place my trust in her words," nodded Sailor   
Chibi-Pluto as she marched alongside the others. "And we must certainly find  
this Evil Queen, or the world as we know it will certainly be shattered   
forever."  
"Blah, blah, blah," mocked the older soldier as she leaned back her   
head and focused on the ceiling. "What about YOU, S.C.?" she asked of the   
last Galactic Sailor. "You like to play leader; what do you think?"  
The brunette was a good ten feet ahead of the other three and, though   
the question was asked directly of her, she did not slow in her quick stride  
down the corridor. "I think," she responded in a soft, almost worried tone,   
"that there's going to be trouble."  
Sailor Earth smiled slightly. "Come now, Comet," she chided with a   
certain amount of surprise in her voice. "Don't you think that I'd feel the   
evil spirits if there were--"  
Her thought was cut off by a mighty roar originating from very near   
the brunette Scout.  
Chibi-Pluto wordlessly tightened her grip on her Key Staff and glared  
in the direction of the sound. Then, suddenly, something slammed into Sailor  
Comet and threw her into the wall. The entire area shook with the force of   
yet another roar.  
This was enough for the other threesome of warriors. Aurora Borealis   
pressed herself up against the nearby stone door, hiding herself in the   
doorframe. Earth grabbed onto the wrist of the smaller Scout and threw them   
both into the wall. There was the audible "whoosh" of something quickly   
flying by, and three fukus were ruffled by a new, unseen breeze. Another   
roar sounded, followed by several low growls.  
"What IS that?" gaped Sailor Earth as she stared off into the   
distance, seeing nothing despite the bright, torch-cast light.   
Chibi-Pluto's normally impassive tone returned as she leaned, panting,  
against the wall. "This dimension," she reminded the older Scout, "is very   
much like Hell. Therefore, whatever can exist in Hell..."  
"Can and will exist here!" exclaimed the dark-haired one as she   
glanced down the hallway.  
Aurora Borealis stayed in her place across the hall, still pressed   
against the thick marble door, but her brown eyes wandered first to the   
prone Scout, Comet, and then to the duo up against the opposite wall. "Are   
there REALLY invisible monsters in Hell?" she asked quickly.  
The little girl glared in her general direction. She gulped and forced  
a smile. Slowly, even so slowly, the auburn-haired one pulled herself away   
from the doorway and started out into the middle of the...  
"Don't!" yelped Sailor Earth nervously as she watched her fellow Scout  
start toward the center of the hall. "You're nuts, you know that?" All color  
drained from the face of the younger teen as she watched Aurora Borealis   
near what would be the battle path of the creature. "You're signing your own  
death certificate!"  
Of course, the cynic of the group refused to listen. Instead, she   
centered herself in the hallway, seemingly in a battle-ready stance, hands   
folded at her chest like those of a praying child. Her eyes slowly closed   
and her brow wrinkled slightly as she took a deep breath.  
The air began to crackle with unseen energy, and it sent a pulsating   
breeze about the area. The teen's skirt ruffled as, slowly, she pulled her   
hands a good foot apart and took another, long breath.  
"Great power of Light, the Aurora Borealis," she summoned, an almost   
metallic green glow welling up between her open palms. "Guide us to the   
truth." Brown eyes popped open suddenly. "Aurora Borealis SHINING!"  
The green light flashed, basking all in a glow so bright that it was   
nearly painful. Suddenly, at the end of the hall, was a giant demon-like   
creature. It was a good ten feet tall and was covered with black, curly   
hair. Red eyes shone from under heavy, brown lids, and horns stuck up all   
over its head.  
"That's what we've got to beat?" gaped Sailor Earth, unmoving.   
"But...but... It's NASTY!" She shivered slightly.   
A giant rock that looked oddly like a bowling ball shot from the   
center of the creature, and it was all Aurora Borealis could do to dive to   
the floor, letting it sail over her. She glared daggers at the raven-haired   
Scout. "Obviously those cheerleaders rubbed off on you."  
The younger teen frowned before plunging forward into the hall and   
thrusting out the palms of her hands. "Tsunami!" she announced in a loud   
voice.  
Cool water smashed into the chest of the creature. It roared out in   
pain, and tried to avoid the stream, but it was a lost cause.   
And then, it began to melt.  
"Of course!" exclaimed Chibi-Pluto triumphantly, rushing out into the   
hall to observe the goings-on. "The creature is most likely created from   
some sort of fire-based substance!" She beamed and brushed her green bangs   
from her eyes, then pressed her lips together. Her expression went from   
pleased to slightly reflective. "But a large and powerful attack will be   
needed to finish off such a being." She cupped her chin in a gloved hand and  
twirled the Key Staff around in the other. "And, with Comet out of   
commission as she is right now..."  
It took all of the auburn-haired one's strength to NOT beam the child   
upside the head. "Hey!" she yelled from her spot on the floor, glancing up   
at the pensive Scout. "Why not use Dead Scream?"  
Earth was already panting, her stream becoming less and less powerful.  
And the creature seemed to be recovering, slightly, from its half-melted   
state.  
"Right!" exclaimed the girl, readying her staff. "DEAD SCREAM!"  
Purplish-red light shone from her Garnet Orb and blasted right into   
the monster. It roared, and there was an explosion, sending little chunks of  
demon-creature splattering about the walls. Sailor Earth let her tsunami end  
and collapsed to her knees, gasping for breath. Aurora Borealis clambered to  
her feet just in time to see a rather...smug...looking Comet leaning against  
the wall, her hands on her hips.  
"It's amazing," she commented, teal eyes half-closed. "I can be one of  
your best friends, but you won't come to check on me when I'm laying prone   
on the ground."  
"Hey!" protested Aurora Borealis. "I thought we should kill the   
monster first, SO--"  
She was interrupted by a thump. All eyes turned to the small green-  
haired girl, who was leaning heavily on her Key Staff. "You can argue   
later," she reminded them, nodding down the hallway. "Right now, we have to   
defeat Ginnie...before all else is destroyed."  
************  
  
But you never know what's around the next corner...  
************  
  
With each step she took, the Keeper of the Nebulae thumped her staff   
on the ground. The deep thunking sound echoed through the corridor, the   
strange metallic quality reverberating right off the walls and ceiling. In   
its own way, it seemed to shake three of the four warriors. Or maybe it was   
not the vibration at all but the beating of their own hearts.  
Both destined couples walked side-by-side, the years between them   
spanned by one destiny. The bright torches on the walls lit their path of   
dark marble, but the palace-lair of the Evil Queen was still foreboding,   
light or not. They had been silent since mounting the stairs, for no one   
knew quite what to say. And, with the stern, iron-faced Keeper of the   
Nebulae striding right alongside the less solemn trio, no one dared to   
speak.  
After a good fifteen minutes of their slow trudge down the hall, the   
Master of Time glanced nervously at the golden girl beside him. "You know,"   
he commented offhandedly, not wanting to annoy the severe soldier that was   
his destined, "we've been walking a long time and haven't really gotten   
anywhere."  
The green eyes didn't blink or move from the seemingly endless passage  
that stretched out before them. "I have noticed," returned the Keeper in her  
normal, timeless lilt. "Why do you mention this?"  
Sailor Polaris glanced down at her sister and the little boy. The   
brunette child was obviously pretty embarrassed; he still wasn't completely   
used to the fact that the Keeper and Celeste Mokoti were two completely   
different people. In fact, as it stood, he hardly realized that two forms   
could occupy the very same body. He gulped and focused his bright red orbs   
on the ground.  
"I... I was thinking," he remarked softly, "that maybe this could be   
an illusion to keep us going straight ahead."  
The Keeper of the Nebulae, for one brief moment, looked completely   
awe-struck and amazed. Her forest-colored eyes sparked for a scant second   
with a strange cross between pride and surprise. Then, the mask of steel   
returned and the lead-willed Keeper of the Nebulae raised her chin the tiny   
centimeter it had fallen. "I had not thought of such a thing," she admitted   
in a tone that could almost be thought of as humble. Almost. "However," she   
continued after a short pause, "I do not think it could be so. I would have   
sensed such a thing."  
Peter's expression went from excited to crestfallen. "Oh."  
"But," put in the Keeper as she turned her head to smile at the boy,   
that certain Celeste sparkle to her entire being, "it was good guess!"  
He smiled. The two older Scouts smiled. All seemed good.  
And, therefore, it came as a complete surprise when the hallway   
suddenly took a sharp left.   
Standing at the corner, Sailor Polaris drew her lower lip in between   
her teeth. "What should we do about this?" she questioned softly, a bit   
confused to why, suddenly, there would be such a sharp turn in the path.   
"I understand that Queen Ginnie does have a few mental issues..."  
"Perhaps it IS to confuse us," suggested the Starlit Prince with a   
shrug as he removed his top hat just long enough to rake a hand through his   
hair. "That would be quite plausible, in the end."  
The Master of Time rolled his eyes. "You're starting to talk like my   
sister," he pointed out with a roll of his blood-colored eyes, "and she   
never solved much." He pointed to the corner, which seemed to attach to   
another hall before straightening into one corridor. "Look, if it meets up   
with another hall, then..."  
The Keeper of the Nebulae smiled and put a hand on her destined's   
shoulder. "Then we are bound to meet up with one of our allies." She tried   
earnestly NOT to look pleased, but the overall effect failed. "We should   
go."  
No sooner than had she said this when four forms, three relatively   
tall and one much shorter, came into view. The Scouts didn't need to   
exchange words to know who it was.  
Aurora Borealis, Earth, Chibi-Pluto, and a limping Comet.  
"Are you hurt?" questioned Polaris nervously as her group joined the   
others. Her brown eyes glanced down at the ankle of the oldest Galactic   
Sailor, which was obviously swollen, despite the boot around it. "Because,   
honestly, you look the part."  
The brunette chuckled in her normal, good-natured way and shook her   
head. "I've dealt with worse," she commented with a shrug. "Hell, I still   
remember what it felt like to die, last time around..."  
Polaris shivered. She'd been spared.  
"Well, no time to chat," put in the auburn-haired one as she eyed the   
wider, brighter hall before them. "We've got to get Ginnie."  
Chibi-Pluto and her brother exchanged glances. "The time draws near,"   
they chorused, young voices echoing through the hall.  
"Then, you go up ahead," commanded Polaris as she eyed Comet's ankle   
once again. "We'll be right behind you."  
Sailor Earth raised a raven eyebrow. "You sure?" she asked doubtfully.  
The curly-haired one grinned. "I'm a big girl AND a princess," she   
chided the younger Scout. "I'll be fine."  
"And I'll be with them," stated the Starlit Prince sternly. "Go right   
ahead."  
"Just don't get killed," grinned Comet with a teal-eyed wink.  
The five broke into a run down the hallway, leaving their three   
compatriots behind.  
And they didn't look back.  
************  
  
No one ever told you that having faith is half the battle...  
************  
  
"I'm worried," sighed the tall woman as she glanced out the large back  
door at the ever-darkening city of Tokyo. Slowly, she raised one hand to   
touch the glass, her green eyes staring up at the ebony storm clouds. "What   
will happen to them?"  
With a slight shake of her head, Mina Mokoti pulled a blanket over the  
sleeping form of her youngest child. "I don't know," she choked, softly   
laying a kiss upon her little girl's brow. "But I think they will survive."  
Nodding in agreement to her friend's statement, Amy leaned back in the  
kitchen chair, her cobalt eyes riveted to a picture of herself, her   
daughter, and the man she had one called husband. "And, even if they   
don't..." She stumbled over the words she wished to say and pressed her   
eyelids shut. A tear escaped. "They WILL survive, Lita; they HAVE to."  
Wordlessly, the soldier of the planet Jupiter slammed her fist into   
the cool, clear surface of the door. The rain splattered against the glass,   
sending tiny rivulets of water streaming down to the ground. She gulped back  
tears.  
"You can't act like this," her destined love stated from his spot on   
the couch beside a snoring Mokoti child. "It's not worth it. Whatever   
happens, happens."  
She turned on him, emerald eyes hateful. "It suits YOU to think that,   
doesn't it?!" she roared angrily, crossing both the Urawa kitchen and living  
room to stand directly in front of him. "You don't really care what happens   
to this planet, do you? You don't care if you live or die, do you?"  
Catching the woman's wrist, Ken rose and pulled the hysteric,   
struggling brunette in his arms. She immediately buried her head in his   
shoulder and began to sob, her entire body shaking.  
"We all have to understand that this is it," stated Andrew as he   
strode into the kitchen from the front hall. His brown eyes sought for and   
found the bright, baby-blue orbs that belonged to his wife. "But this is not  
the end. I know it."  
"Either that," grumbled Marie, her back to the wall as she closed her   
deep, chestnut eyes, "or you're wrong and we're doomed."  
************  
  
So let love take you to a place... A place where you can find your face...  
************  
  
"We never got to say goodbye, you know."  
Three women, two men, and a tiny baby were all gathered around the   
island in the center of the kitchen.   
The blonde, her sandy hair messy as she rested her head in her hands,   
shook her head and tried desperately to steady her voice. "She's my   
baby...my little girl..." Her gray-green eyes smashed shut as she hid her   
face from the others, her jaw clenched. "And I never got to say goodbye."  
Eyes adverted. Hannah Hartford reached out and clutched the hand of   
her husband, her purple eyes aflame with both fear and hope as she stared at  
the tiny child that was asleep in her arms. Michelle Ten'ou hesitantly   
rubbed the back of her upset partner and love, not allowing the emotions to   
set in. And Terrence...  
"I never dared to tell you this," he stated suddenly, green eyes   
closed as he spoke, "but I know that the world won't end."  
Everyone glanced at him, both confused and delighted in the strange   
news. He gulped and opened his bloodshot eyes, his gaze darting about the   
table almost erratically. "As long as the Gates of Time remain open," he   
continued in a level tone, "that means the future is intact. And, if the   
future is intact..."  
"Then the girls could not have lost, yet," finished the aqua-haired   
musician quickly, before the man could finish his thought. "But they could   
still lose, couldn't they."  
The Bringer of the Silence shook her head. "Not with Saturn dormant,   
like she is," she put in, her soft voice almost prophetic as she smoothed   
the short hair of her daughter. "If the world is to be destroyed, then I, as  
Terrence, would know of it."  
With a sigh, Brian ran a shaky hand through his blonde tresses. "Such   
power, you all have," he remarked nonchalantly, chewing on his lower lip.   
"I'm almost jealous."  
His wife shot him a wayward, confused glance.  
"I said 'almost,' dear one."  
Alexandra Ten'ou sat up a bit and stroked the wavy hair of her   
destined, almost as though she was thanking her. "So, is this the symphony's  
end?" she asked with a slight cock of her head.  
Her wife smiled slightly. "Think of it more," she returned, "as a   
grand pause."  
************  
  
Heart matters... Heart shatters... Heart clatters to the floor...  
************  
  
"I think," commented Sailor Moon as she trudged up the slanted   
hallway, "that there is too much going up and not enough going down." She   
tried to stand straight up in the hill-like corridor, only to find herself   
inches away from bashing her brains out on the ceiling. Even her pointy pink  
buns brushed the cool, damp marble above. Frowning, she wrinkled her button   
nose and sighed. "Are we lost or WHAT?"  
The fingers of her left hand quickly traversing the various keys of   
her computer, Sailor Phoenix glanced at her leader through the VR goggles.   
"From what I can tell," she responded, "we have to go through a pan-  
dimensional doorway to get out of here. And that should come up relatively   
soon, actually."  
"Why do badguys like inter-dimensional palaces so much?" questioned   
Angel Moon almost suspiciously. "It's just creepy."  
Her 'father' shot her an annoyed glare. She backed down and focused on  
fluttering up the incline.  
The blue-haired Scout, however, didn't notice the glare, so she   
bothered to respond. "I guess it's for the same reason that they wear such   
funny clothes," she retorted, grinning down at the child in the white robes.  
"I mean, they probably do it so the good guys will consider them too big a   
bother--or just too weird--to beat them."  
Just then, a bright flash of yellow surrounded them all and they   
entered another room. It was enormous, ceiling covered with dripping   
stalactites and the floor an endless expanse of black marble.  
And, at the opposite end of that room was the Queen of Darkness.   
Ginnie.  
"Good to see you, Sailor Moon," she chortled as she leaned back   
against the cool stone of what looked to be her throne. "And you brought a   
few Scouts! How nice!"  
The leader of the Galactic Sailors bristled immediately and took no   
hesitation in waving her drawn sword at the woman. "You coward!" she yelled   
angrily, bright eyes dulling in anger and she glared at the stranger that   
was their adversary. "First, you send meaningless creatures after us, and   
now you can't even greet the ones who come to kill you!" She took a long   
step forward, the heel of her boot echoing across the chamber. "But you will  
fight me, you monster! You hear?"  
Smoothing the fabric of her short skirt, the Queen nodded. "It's not   
like I'm deaf," she retorted with a slight frown, slowly floating down from   
her perch. "It's that I'm evil." She grinned, her smile so evil that it   
defied words, and pulled a sword from null-space. Immediately, her short   
skirt and tunic-like top morphed into a long, black gown. It glittered   
brightly, as though a million of the galaxy's stars had landed down on the   
ebony fabric of her dress. Upon her head was perched a crown, made from a   
mass of black metal and rimmed with beautiful, colorful jewels.  
"We will fight," she stated with a nod, her black-bladed sword   
sparkling brilliantly. "But I will win."  
And metal clashed against metal.  
************  
  
Faith matters... Hope shatters... And love gives you all and more...  
************  
  
"Do you think you can do this?" he asked the High Priest of Elysion,   
deep brown eyes staring at the woman who sat, motionless, on the window   
seat.  
They were still in the guestroom of the palace, even though their   
Master had been told that they were leaving. But Abigail, as adamant as a   
mule, had refused to go when they had 'unfinished business.' The tone in her  
voice still frightened Brice, despite the fact that he knew what was going   
to happen. She could be so cold and so kind at the exact same time...  
Her silver eyes didn't turn to glance his way, but the sorrow within   
them was obvious. "I have to," stated the Priestess, her hands folded in her  
lap. "I don't have a choice."  
Reaching out, the young man smoothed the tangled blue tresses of his   
friend. "You're worried sick," he commented, trying to sound chipper. "You   
didn't even brush your hair this morning." Forcing a smile, he reached over  
to the bed table and took her gold-handled brush from it. "But that's fine,   
because I'm used to long hair." He chuckled at himself and ran a hand   
through his mossy hair. "Nothing I can't handle."  
She didn't move as the young man, still standing at her side, began to  
pull the brush through the azure strands. She remained stern, and calm, and   
focused...  
"I'm a pretty shitty high priestess," she blurted out after a long   
moment of silence, clenching her eyelids shut to hold in the coming tears.   
"I pulled us from home, and now I have to use a spell that I don't even   
know..." She drew the butt of her hand across her closed eyes, wiping away   
tears. "But I just HAVE to do this, don't you see? I HAVE to..."  
Sighing, Brice walked to her other side and sat down on the edge of   
the window seat. He cautiously wrapped an arm around her shoulders, not at   
all surprised as she fell into his arms, sobbing. "Whatever happens,   
Abigail," he soothed, quelling her fears, "I will be your friend."  
"That's all I need..." she whimpered, like a child lost in a rain   
storm. "I need a friend."  
************  
  
Don't turn your head, don't run away... Those who you love  
are here to stay...   
************  
  
The two swords clanged against each other, the deep metallic sound   
ringing through the ears of the warriors.   
Evil Queen Ginnie caught one of her adversary's attacks rather well,   
and the two swords locked together. Bringing her face to meet that of the   
short, pink-haired girl, she grinned proudly. Her dark hair rimmed her   
sweaty face. "Give up?" she questioned mockingly.  
"Never!" Sailor Moon pulled away from the woman and brought her sword   
with her. They continued to jab and parry, desperately trying to gain the   
upper hand.  
Neither did.  
"What's happening?" questioned an urgent voice, and all three of   
Moon's group-mates turned to see a mass of panicked Sailor Scouts behind   
them. Of the five, four had horrified, pained expressions on their faces, as  
though they had just seen a ghost.  
The Keeper of the Nebulae was stoic.  
Helios wrung his hands and pulled his blue eyes from the battle and to  
the floor. "They're fighting for the fate of the world," he sighed, a deep   
regret in his voice.  
"We let Mama rush into things," moaned a shaking, nervous Angel Moon.   
"We couldn't stop her," nodded Phoenix after the other two had spoken,  
her ice-colored gaze meeting with the brown of Aurora Borealis'. "She   
wanted to do this on her own."  
Sailor Chibi-Pluto's black skirt was ruffled by an unseen breeze as   
she watched the battle. Her grip on the Key of Time seemed to tighten with   
every passing blow. "There's something bad coming," she whispered hoarsely,   
her body beginning to shake. "I can feel it..."  
And just then, there was a louder CLANG than before and a sword went   
flying into the wall.  
"SERENITY!" screamed the silver-haired priest, rushing out of the   
group toward the woman he loved.  
But it wasn't his Princess who had lost her sword.  
Kneeling, the Evil Queen Ginnie bowed her head. Her hands were folded   
in a sort of twisted prayer as her dark eyes stared at the floor. Aimed   
directly at her throat was the bright silver blade of the Moon Saber.  
For a moment, the young man thought he might faint. However, a smile   
from Sailor Moon told him that he was viewing the truth. Without hesitation,  
he strode over toward the Queen and his love, a goofy grin on his face.  
"Please..." pleaded the Queen of Evil, her crown nearly falling from   
her head as she gazed up, teary-eyed, at the Princess of the Earth. "I am   
sorry..." She gulped and let a single tear roll down her pale face. "I... I   
was hurt by humans long ago," she lamented, her voice almost a squeak as she  
spoke. "I just wanted to make them feel what I felt, and... I know I was   
wrong." She took in a shuddering, wheezing breath. "Forgive me, Your   
Highness. I shall never wrong you or another again."  
Slowly, VERY slowly, Sailor Moon began to pull her sword away from the  
head of her adversary. Her entire body was shaking, but she ignored it. She   
was crying from the words of the dark-haired woman, and she couldn't hide   
either her surprise or pride as she gazed down at the stranger.   
"Rise, my child," the Galactic Sailor of the Moon stated, her voice   
firm despite her tears. "You are forgiven for all that has happened."  
There was a 'click' as her sword was returned to its scabbard.  
Sailor Earth, though she was across the room, suddenly began to shake.  
"No!" she gasped, her voice caught in her throat. "NO!"  
Suddenly, there was a flash of black as Ginnie's sword sprung from the  
wall and into her hands. Hastily, she swung, two handed, at the body nearest  
her... The body she could reach.  
There was a slash. Blood splattered, its redness heavy in the air   
before it crashed down around her panting, black garbed form.  
And only the Keeper of the Nebulae was able to remain calm.  
************  
  
Heart matters...  
************  
  
"You're worried about her, aren't you?"  
He didn't have to open his tired copper eyes or turn his impossibly   
aching head to know that the loud, brown-haired, goofy Irish teen was   
standing over him, her smiling face glittering like the sun.  
Shrugging, Eric remained prone. "You seem to know me quite well; you   
tell me."  
With a slight laugh, Joan perched herself on the edge of his bed and,  
wordlessly, jabbed him in the side. The young man sprang straight up, not so  
much in pain than from surprise, and shot her a deadly glare...  
...which promptly melted away when she grinned and cocked her head to   
the side. "Got you up," she pointed out proudly.  
Sulking, the other teen fell back into his bed and threw the quilt   
over his head. "Go away," came the muffled command from under the covers.   
"I don't particularly want to talk to you right now."  
Joan tucked her knees up against her chest and leaned back against   
what she presumed to be Eric's legs. "I know you're worried about Haley,"   
she commented rather casually, "and you, as her true love, should be." There  
was an indignant grunt from under the comforter, and she poked the form upon  
hearing it. "But you can't save her." She sighed and shook her head, as   
though trying to think up the right words. "What's done is done and that is  
the end of the entire mess. Either you shape up and stop moping, or I WILL   
try some new kick-boxing moves out on you."  
A head peeked out from under the thick mass of sheets, and Eric rested  
his hands beneath his head, a pensive expression crossing his features.   
"Maybe you're right," he sighed.  
"Of course!" she interjected cheerily.  
"...but that doesn't make this any easier on me." He slowly sat up,   
hands resting in his lap as copper eyes met with those of so many colors.   
"The problem is that I LOVE her," he lamented with a slight shake of his   
head. "It took me three years AND losing her to figure it all out, and now I  
could lose her...again..." He closed his eyes and took a deep, shuddering   
breath. "I just want to hold her in my arms one more time, Joan... Just once  
more..."  
Swallowing, the Irish teen chewed thoughtfully on her lower lip for a   
long, long moment before she responded. "Someone once said that I'm really   
lucky," she commented with a shrug, standing up. "And I guess I am." She   
wagged a finger at him. "And you should count yourself lucky, too, because   
you got to tell her you love her... Don't bother worrying about the rest."   
She winked. "What's done is done. The future's whatever happens. It's the   
PRESENT that's important."  
With a smile, the young man watched the exchange student retreat. "You  
know, Joan," he replied amusedly, "if I didn't have Haley back, I'd probably  
want to be with you."  
She didn't turn around, but he knew she was smiling. "I don't know if   
I'd like being the rebound babe," she retorted, one hand on the doorknob.   
"I think that, for now, I'm happy just the way I am."  
And she strolled out the door with her head high, as always, humming   
the tune to the song 'Sex Bomb' all the way.  
************  
  
And you see that winning is far away...  
************  
  
Helios was reduced to nothing more than a quivering mass of remorse as  
soon as he saw his pink-haired maiden collapse to the floor before him.   
Blood flew through the air, and he was dotted liberally with the warm   
liquid, but he didn't care. His azure eyes, once so placid and calm, were   
welling up with tears even before her body hit the ground.  
Serenity, the Princess of his dreams, was dead.  
And died protecting him.  
Panting, one hand clutched to her chest as the other was tight around   
the hilt of her sword, Ginnie clambered to her feet. Her glittering black   
gown was soaked with the blood of the fallen Sailor, but she didn't much  
care. The Galactic Sailors were all rushing toward her, screaming out names   
and profanities and the whatnot, but she hardly listened.   
"Alright, Galactic GALS," she spat angrily, raising her sword once   
again and pointing it toward the trembling Helios, "that's IT. You move a   
muscle, and your silver-haired boyfriend, here, gets it."  
The group of girls and young women skidded to a stop. Only the Keeper   
of the Nebulae remained moving, but she was far enough behind the rest that   
the dark-haired woman hardly batted an eyelash in her direction.  
Suddenly, three more figures appeared near the back of the room. A   
young man, dressed in a cape, tuxedo, top hat, and ballroom mask was   
accompanying two other Scouts. The taller of the two was leaning on the   
shorter, and seemed to be limping.  
Ginnie grinned. "MORE toys," she chortled merrily, her brown eyes   
staring down the trio in the doorway. "Come on over and see the mess I   
made." She cackled a little.  
"Who ARE you?!" demanded Angel Moon loudly, both Phoenix and Earth   
holding her back from rushing straight toward the 'business end' of Ginnie's  
sword. "You can't possibly be human!"  
Smirking, the Queen nodded and let her sword drop a millimeter.   
"You're right," she replied to the girl, "I'm not." She took a step forward,  
her boots making a sick squishing sound in the crimson blood of the Sailor   
Scout of the Moon. "However, Angel Moon, I am your aunt."  
Everyone gasped in startling unison, minus the stern Keeper of the   
Nebulae.  
"My name is Ginnie," she greeted the group with a nod, "and I am a   
fallen angel."  
************  
  
And you can't bring yourself to pray...  
************  
  
Even her cloud, once the brightest of white, was marred by the   
darkness that was rapidly taking over the city of Crystal Tokyo. Her whole  
heart ached as she sat on the edge of the fluffy whiteness, her placid face   
marred with worry.  
Suddenly, there was a bright glimmer of silver, and a streak of light   
danced about her head. She laughed at the antics of the light and shook her   
head. "Why, Orion," she smiled at the shape-shifter, "it's good to see you   
retained your humor in such a dark time."  
Then, two cats appeared, one a grinning calico and the other a rather   
green-looking orange-and-white bicolor. As the female of the pair strode   
across the cloud to greet her friend, the male laid down.  
"Next time you're going out," grumbled Orb as he struggled to hold   
down his Meow Mix, "I'm staying home."  
Orion ignored her mate's griping and walked right next to the Angel of  
the Moon, plopping down on her haunches as soon as she got there. "Your   
sister was ALWAYS a trouble-maker," she stated blandly, shaking her head.   
"After all, an angel who is declared fallen as an infant..."  
Sighing, the silver-haired woman closed her eyes. "You know that I'm   
fallen, too," she reminded the cat softly. "I don't even see why, now, you   
bothered to come here to attempt to cheer me up."  
"Hey, it's what I DO!" argued the calico, laying down and resting her   
head on her paws. "Besides, I certainly am NOT going to let you worry all   
alone."  
The Ambriel who was nicknamed Amber sighed once again and leaned back   
into her cloud, stretching her long body out much like a cat would do.   
"Ginnie is going to win," she moaned, her voice filled with sorrow, "or   
she's going to bring down most the Sailor Scouts trying."  
"I know," admitted the Guardian of the Silver Star. "But we've just   
got to pray, now, and hope it all works out."  
The Angel of the Moon gulped back tears. "Do you really think they can  
do it, Orion?" she asked quietly.  
"I think," retorted the cat, "that they HAVE to."  
************  
  
And it looks like death is right around the next corner...  
************  
  
"What are you talking about?" demanded Sailor Comet angrily as she   
stumbled toward the front of the group, booting aside the others in a   
completely random manner. She refused to let her angry teal eyes glance down  
at the body of her fallen leader, because she knew that it would end her   
resolve. "You can't possibly be a fallen angel!"   
Brushing aside a strand of wavy hair, the Queen of Darkness smiled in   
her demonic way and cocked her head at the brunette who stood, defiant,   
before her. "Really?" she questioned in a slightly challenging tone. "I   
CAN'T, Sailor..." Her brown eyes lowered just long enough to study the small  
symbol on the teen's locket. "Sailor Comet?" She batted her eyelashes   
innocently. "Don't you think I would look incredible in white?"  
Angel Moon, still struggling against the arms of the other Scouts,   
lowered her gray eyes. "You can't be related to me!" she shrieked, her high   
voice breaking as tears streamed down her pale cheeks. "No family of mine   
would kill my mother!"   
Ginnie laughed at the child's comments, and she could feel the dirty   
glares that were being sent her way. Sailor Aurora Borealis took a shaky   
step forward, only to find the business end of the sword pointed straight   
between her eyes. "You move," growled the Queen, "and you're dead. Period."  
Gulping, the auburn-haired one took a shaky step back, her chestnut   
eyes falling away from the sword to glance down at the bloody, motionless   
Sailor Moon.   
Her pink pigtails were beginning to soak in a bit of blood, their   
perfect softness seemingly lost. A deep, gory slash was ripped through the   
chest of the teen's fuku, and the blood on the white leotard fabric was   
already drying to be a depressing shade of crimson. The bleeding had halted   
only moments before, and the pool of blood around her body was large and   
seemed, still, to be spreading.   
She could feel her body shake as she closed her eyes and let free the   
tears. There was nothing they could do, then.  
"As I was saying," continued Ginnie, her sword slowly traveling back   
to its position above Helios' head, "I am a fallen angel." She smiled and   
cocked her head to one side. "You see, a long time ago, my mother fell in   
love with a human and gave birth to twins." She rested her chin between her   
thumb and crooked index finger, but kept telling her tale. "The first of the  
two twins was born with this certain...sick...innocence about her. She was   
beautiful, with silver locks and blue eyes."   
Angel Moon shivered. "Amber..." she breathed softly, her body going   
limp in the embrace of her two captors.   
"And the other was me."  
The Evil Queen raised her head to the ceiling, sword still straight   
and menacing, black blade shining. Her walnut-colored eyes sparkled. "My   
sister and I made a vow," she informed the group softly, "to never get near  
humans. We thought that, if we purged ourselves of our mortal flesh, we   
would be freed of such harm..." She pulled her head down from above to glare  
straight into the eyes of the trembling redheaded girl. "But my sister,   
being weak, allowed herself to fall in love with one of her priests from the  
Silver Moon!" Her grip on the sword tightened, and the blade began to   
shudder violently. She threw back her head for a brief moment and laughed.   
"But I killed her!" she announced to the room, her deep voice booming across  
the marble. "I killed her and made it so the Silver Moon would die with   
her!"  
Suddenly, the heiress of the Silver Moon burst out of the confining   
arms of both Phoenix and Earth and took to the air, her wings spreading out   
to carry to toward the woman.  
"SUPREME ANGELIC GLOW!" she screamed as loudly as she could, her eyes   
clenched shut as she threw several bolts of sparkling silver straight toward  
the woman who was her aunt. "SUPREME ANGELIC GLOW!"  
Ginnie gasped and dropped her sword, letting it clatter loudly to the   
floor as she dove out of the silver's path.  
Helios slowly raised his head and glanced up at the shrieking child in  
the air. "Ambriel..." he whispered, his blue eyes staring at her, almost not  
seeing. "Don't die, too..."  
Rising, the Evil Queen smiled and began shooting yellow bolts of   
lightning at the child. "Angel hunting!" she grinned, dodging attacks while  
throwing her own. "This is something I will most certainly enjoy!"  
"What can we do?" asked Sailor Polaris softly, a hand to her mouth as   
she watched the child and the Queen of Darkness do battle.   
The Keeper of the Nebulae pushed her way to the front of the group,   
her staff brightly shining as she silently watched the goings-on. Her green   
eyes were both teary and concerned, but she didn't let it show. Her face was  
the normal stoic mask it always was...   
"There is nothing, right now, that we can do," she answered the teen  
that, in the flesh, was her sister. Her tired eyes fluttered closed. "Until  
the Crystal appears, there is nothing we can do but hope."  
And, for some reason, hope seemed futile.  
************  
  
But then, you remember that there is light...  
************  
  
"Do you even realize what, exactly, she is?" questioned a soft voice   
from the hallway of Cherry Hill Temple.  
The young man turned his head slowly, blue-eyed gaze meeting bright   
violet orbs that could see right into his very soul. They had only met that   
afternoon, after the Galactic Sailors had departed for the realm of Evil   
Queen Ginnie, but he already felt a certain empathy for the beautiful raven-  
haired woman. Just like the empathy he felt for that woman's sixteen-year-  
old daughter.  
With a slight smile, Sebastian Yoshiko closed his eyes and leaned back  
into the couch, shrugging his shoulders. "She's a Galactic Sailor," he   
responded to the priestess in the doorway. "She fights for both love and   
justice, just like they talk about on TV. What's there to know?"  
Raye scoffed at his comment, frowning as she strode into the room. "I  
don't appreciate your defense mechanism," she stated blandly as she took up   
a seat beside him on the couch. "But at least I know you're using one."  
"What do you mean by that?" he questioned, opening a single eye. "This  
is no defense ANYTHING, Mrs. Yuuichirou." An eyelid fluttered closed once he  
saw that the woman had adverted her glance. "I am honestly not worried about  
your daughter, though I know what she is."  
The Shinto woman settled into the couch, staring out the window at the  
darkened city. She could hardly see Crystal Palace due to all the clouds,   
and that fact caused her heart to drop. Something was wrong, and something   
was happening, and she was powerless... "Do you know, then, that she's going  
to die?"   
Both of his eyes popped open as he stared at the woman. She was   
impassive, emotionless, using that same battle-face that he had seen Tara   
attempt to use on him. Well, it didn't work, and he knew her words to be   
truth. And that frightened him.  
"No." He sighed. "I didn't know that."  
"You cannot know something that is not certain," responded the   
Mistress of Mars coolly as she rose from her seat, smoothing her temple   
robes as she did so. Her purple eyes sparkled with the magical light of   
hope. "No one knows what is going to happen to that girl, including me." She  
smiled gently at him. "But those of us who care for her are worrying,   
right?"  
Sebastian smiled, the hope dawning in his eyes as well. "Right."  
************  
  
And with that comes all your might...  
************  
  
"This is madness!" roared Sailor Chibi-Pluto, ignoring the comment   
coming from her leader. "Ambriel, do you have a death wish?!" Her voice   
cracked and the multicolored eyes welled up with tears as she clutched her   
Time Key to her chest. The angel ignored her and continued with her futile   
attempts to bring down the evil queen. "Why..." whimpered the green-haired   
Scout of Time. "Why must you throw your life away, accomplishing nothing?"  
It had been decided that not one of the Sailor Scouts, as powerful as   
a few were, could attack Ginnie without catching Angel Moon in the haze.   
They were sporadically throwing attacks and moving about the chamber in much  
a random matter that it would be impossible to hit just one. And, if it   
wasn't possible to hit only Queen Ginnie...  
There was a flurry of black skirts as the dark-haired one threw   
another bolt of yellow energy, laughing all the while. It nicked the top of   
one of Angel Moon's feathery wings, and down the child went, landing hard on  
the black marble floor.  
Sailor Chibi-Pluto immediately attempted to run forward, but she was   
halted by the Staff of Nebulae. Her bright eyes glanced to the stern,   
emotionless girl in gold.  
And the Keeper nodded. "Watch, Aeris," she breathed softly, a certain   
lilt to her voice that sounded oddly more like Celeste than the destined   
keeper of so much power. "You won't be disappointed."  
Her jaw fell open slightly, as she was surprised that the omnipotent   
Chibi-Scout leader would use her name, but she remained silent and, as all   
the others did, she stared at Angel Moon and Ginnie.   
The little girl pushed herself across the floor as quickly as she   
could, gray eyes never leaving the face of her pursuer. It was quite obvious  
that she was in pain; every movement of her injured left wing brought a   
wince, and already a small trickle of blood was trailing down the feathers.   
Still, she tried desperately not to seem scared as she backed away from her   
attacker...  
...and right into the marble wall.  
Frantically, she whipped her head about, trying to find a way out of   
her position. Less than ten feet spread out between herself and the evil   
woman, and she couldn't easily dart to either her left or her right without   
endangering herself further. Gulping, she drew her knees to her chest and   
buried her face in her robes, motionless.  
"Well, well, well," chortled Ginnie, brushing a single strand of   
sweat-soaked hair from her face as she spoke. "It appears that the littlest   
angel isn't so hot to trot when she's been hurt." Halting in her pursuit   
only three feet from the girl, she crouched down and rested an elbow on her   
knee. "Are you ready to die, little one?"  
Slowly, Angel Moon raised her head. Surprisingly, her gray eyes were   
bright and tearless, and her face was the absolute picture of calmness.   
Wordlessly, she raised a single hand, palm opened toward Ginnie, in the air.  
The Queen jumped up as quickly as she could, utterly surprised by the   
child's actions, but also cognizant of what they meant.  
But, before she could react, the child had whispered "supreme angelic   
glow."  
There was an explosion of silver, sending the evil woman careening   
backward, right into the opposite wall of the room. Carefully, Angel Moon   
picked herself up off the ground, smoothing her robes as she did so. Her   
white boots echoed on the marble as she strode across the width of the   
chamber to stand over the quivering form of the evil queen.  
Ginnie choked on her own spit and glared up at the child, her face   
scratched and bruised from the impact of the blast. "This isn't over," she   
hissed, grabbing onto the wall for support as she attempted to climb to her   
feet. "You haven't won yet."  
"I know," stated the child valorously, staring up at her dark aunt   
with fearless eyes. "But that was for my mother."  
************  
  
And suddenly life isn't as hard as it seemed to be...  
************  
  
"Now!" screamed the Keeper of the Nebulae abruptly, animated for the   
first time. "Attack her while she's down!"  
All the Galactic Sailors stared at the gold-garbed child, unmoving.   
The suddenness of her exclamation had left the group of warriors unprepared.  
They haphazardly spread out, moving as quickly as they could to create a   
rough semi-circle around the fallen Dark Queen.  
But it was too late. Ginnie had sprung to action at the same   
approximate time as the Keeper, and by time the Galactic Sailors were   
prepared to attack, she had seized the young angel by the robes and pulled   
her into her arms. A tiny knife, the blade only as long as a finger,   
appeared in the woman's hand as she backed against the marble wall.  
"I don't think so," she drawled in a deep tone, blowing her tangled   
hair from her sweaty, dirt-covered face. She brought the blade of the knife   
straight toward the throat of the girl. Her brown eyes sparked triumphantly.  
"To kill me means killing her, and don't think I won't slit her throat   
before the attack hits me, either." Smirking, she cocked her head to one   
side. "You're caught between a rock and a knife-wielding evil queen,   
girlies; what's the choice?"  
The Galactic Sailors all glanced nervously at one another, no one   
quite sure what to do. Already, tears were streaming down the cheeks of a   
motionless Angel Moon, who was whimpering helplessly in the grip of her   
captor. "Please..." she whispered, clenching her eyelids shut. "Just kill   
the woman."  
From his spot beside the fallen Sailor Moon, Helios raised his head   
and gaped at the little girl, his bleary, tear-filled cobalt eyes just   
staring at her as she begged for the death of both herself and the evil   
woman. "Ambry..." he breathed, remembering all the times that the redheaded   
child had caused him so much trouble. Slowly, he rose from his spot and   
began to stride toward Ginnie, his state completely trance-like.  
And he went unnoticed.  
"Good choice," smiled the Queen, tossing her head haughtily. "Now,   
form a nice, tight group over by the throne..." She glared at the girls on   
the outskirts of the horseshoe, namely Sailors Phoenix, Earth, and Chibi-  
Pluto. "Do you want her to DIE?"  
They immediately began scurrying toward the large marble seat, trying   
not to glance at the silver-haired man, lest they give him away.  
Ginnie's grin grew as she turned to face the throne and began to back   
away from the group. "Very good," she praised them in a falsetto tone as she  
strode away. "Now, I'm taking Angel Moon to another room of this palace, and  
I do NOT want you following me." All eyes met hers as the Galactic Sailors   
and the two male warriors nodded in agreement. "If I hear a footfall, a   
WHISPER, even, she's toast." The knife neared Angel Moon's throat by another  
few centimeters. "Do you understand?"  
"Let me die..." cried the red-haired girl, her pale face stained with   
tears. "Without Mama, I don't have anything to live for... And if my death   
can save the world..."  
Then, suddenly, a burst of light enveloped Angel Moon and Queen   
Ginnie. Helios, one hand pointed straight toward the captor and captive,   
smiled.  
"By the power of Elysion," he smirked, striding over to the front of   
the now-frozen scene.  
The dark one tried desperately to jerk her knife into the girl's   
jugular, only to find that she could not move. "What the Hell did you do,   
you tunic-wearing freak?" she demanded of the priest as he repositioned her   
arms to free Angel Moon. "I can't be beaten by a spell like this!"  
Picking up the still child, the young man sighed. "You're right," he   
admitted solemnly, "you can't. My magic will wear off once I'm twenty feet   
away." He sighed and kissed the head of the motionless child. "But, to save   
my daughter, I would sacrifice myself."  
"You...IDIOT!" roared the Queen as she continued to attempt to free   
herself from the spell. "You silver-haired asshole! You let me go right now,  
or I'll... I'll spit on the corpse of Sailor Moon!"  
He grimaced at this comment but said nothing as he carried the girl   
toward the group. Just as he said, the spell suddenly wore off once he was   
halfway between the woman and the other Sailor Scouts.  
"DIE!" she screamed as soon as she was freed, rushing toward the man,   
knife raised high.  
"Double Dead Scream."  
The purple energy racked her body and sent her slamming into the   
marble wall for the second time that battle. She coughed up into her hand,   
not needing to look down to know it was blood.  
Standing at the front of the group of Galactic Sailors were the Pluto   
twins, looking quite pleased with themselves. She wrinkled her nose and them  
and began to climb to her feet, her knife still raised. Yellow energy   
cackled around her.  
"Now!" yelped the Keeper of the Nebulae. "Join hands and fight! We   
must all do it together!"  
Sailor Polaris looked at the commanding girl in doubt. "And you?" she   
questioned softly.  
The nine-year-old smiled slightly and raised her staff. "Someone needs  
to do the actual fighting," she replied to her sister. "Don't worry."  
It was a matter of seconds before the warriors all joined hands and   
closed their eyes, readying themselves for the fight of their lives.  
"Give it your all!" commanded the young girl in gold. "Without Sailor   
Moon, it'll take all our energy!"  
"Earth Power!"  
"Polaris Power!"  
"Phoenix Power!"  
Ginnie, standing on shaky legs, glared her brown eyes toward the girl   
with the long, golden rod in her hands. "You..." she coughed, her lips   
splattered with her own blood. "You think you can win, do you?" She took a   
trembling step forward, nearly falling once again.  
"Aurora Borealis Power!"  
"Comet Power!"  
The Keeper of the Nebulae nodded sternly toward the woman. "I believe   
in the power of my friends," she stated blandly. "You may have injured us by  
slaying Sailor Moon, but we are by no means crippled."  
"Pluto Power!"  
"Pluto Power!"  
"By the power of the Silver Moon..."  
"By the power of the Silver Star..."  
"By the power of Elysion..."  
White light suddenly began to gather at the front of the Staff of   
Nebulae. Queen Ginnie smirked and pushed her crown up on her brow. "THIS is   
the best you can do?" she questioned smugly, her knife suddenly glittering   
yellow as energy crackled around its blade. "Well, then, it's time to die."  
"We will not die," responded the girl as she lowered her green eyes.   
"We will triumph!"  
She swung her staff. "And by the power of the Gold Star..."  
"WE...ARE...ONE!"  
White met yellow in a clash of brightness, its glow illuminating the   
entire room. The Galactic Sailors and their three male counterparts, hands   
joined, poured all their wills into defeating Ginnie. And still, neither   
power gained the upper hand in the strange, eternal game of tug-of-war they   
were playing.   
The Keeper of the Nebulae felt the sweat dripping down her brow, but   
she ignored it. There was a feeling, nagging at the edge of her soul, and   
she couldn't place it... And yet, she could... It was as if, though they had  
waited months to face the evil queen, something was missing...  
The Crystal of Illusion! Of course! Why hadn't she thought of it   
earlier?  
Closing her eyes, she willed a small part of her existence to reach   
out and find that very crystal.  
But the question she held inside was:  
Would it work?  
************  
  
Sometimes destiny plays games that test your love and sorrow...  
************  
  
Her blue eyes ached as, silently, she stared out at the blacked city.   
Years ago, she had founded that world, using only the Silver Imperium   
Crystal and a brilliant prayer to turn a world of dormancy into a true   
masterpiece.   
But utopia was a paradox, as she had found in her first few years of   
rule. There was no utopia, because good and evil always had to clash. And,   
whether it be monsters or demons, the peace of Crystal Tokyo was never   
permanent...  
But, nonetheless, did her daughter have to die?  
"You know, don't you?" questioned a weak voice from behind her, and   
she turned her head slowly to see the short, chipper handmaiden Lisa   
standing behind her. The young woman, however, was not her normal self; she   
was wringing her hands nervously and adverting her blood-shot gaze. Her face  
was pale and streaked from crying. "You know that's she's gone, don't you?"   
she asked a second time, her breaths coming in short, shuddering gasps. "I   
can feel it, Se--Your Highness, and I know that it's only moments before..."  
"There is no such thing as knowing she's dead," retorted the Queen of   
the Earth as she turned her head away from the younger woman and back to the  
window. Her long hair fell about her body like cape, no longer in its sacred  
buns, as she searched for the words to explain. "Because there is magic,"   
she continued after a long, heavy pause, "there is the chance she can live."  
Lisa pressed her lips together. "And, do you think..."  
Serenity shrugged and forced a smile. "She's died before and come   
back," she responded, "and I wouldn't be surprised if she can do it again."  
************  
  
But you just have to hang on to your faith, and then you'll find tomorrow!  
************  
  
'Please...'  
Her face hurt from clenching her eyes as tightly shut as they were.  
'In the name of all things sacred...'  
She could feel the desperation welling up inside of her entire body.  
'Come to me...'  
And then, suddenly, time seemed to slow.  
Descending through the ceiling of the great stone chamber was   
something small and glittering. And orange. No larger than a golf ball, it   
slowly drifted down, toward the black-garbed woman, its multi-faceted   
surface gleaming brightly.  
The Keeper of the Nebulae could feel its glow on her face and slowly   
opened her eyes. Ginnie saw it, as well, and the smile on her face was   
impossible to hide as she dropped her knife to the floor.   
In a few seconds, it would all be over.   
And then, the Queen began to call out the words of summoning.  
"Light of tomorrow and dusk of today!"  
Three...  
She could feel her heart sink. Even if it distracted Ginnie, it would   
be too late! A tear escaped from a green eye and trailed down her cheek.   
"Envision my dream in the following way!"  
Two...  
"Bring darkness to reality, the least pure wish come true!"  
'Please...' begged Celeste from her spot within the Keeper's soul.  
'Please...' begged the Keeper.  
'Just don't let it end!'  
One...  
"Reinvent the Earth for my vision, bring life a--"  
Silence.  
BOOM!  
The explosion rocked the entire chamber as, suddenly, the white light   
collided with the Queen of Darkness, Ginnie. Upon touching the fallen angel,  
the white light engulfed her completely.  
And it was gone.  
Opening their eyes, the Galactic Sailors slowly pulled apart from one   
another, striding cautiously toward where there had once stood a woman.   
All that was left was a knife.  
Above it all hovered the Crystal of Illusion, gone almost completely   
unnoticed by the group of warriors. It floated over where its mistress had   
once stood, as though examining the situation.  
Then, suddenly, it flew over toward Angel Moon and placed itself right  
in front of her eyes.   
"Oh?" gasped the child, staring at the bright orange orb. "What's   
this?"  
Turning around to glance at the girl, all eyes went large at the   
strange sphere that was before them. The redhead slowly raised a hand and   
caught the crystal in her hand, staring at it. "You choose me as your   
mistress?" she asked of it, as though the object could respond. "But why?"  
Bending down, Sailor Polaris stared into the eyes of the Silver Moon   
heiress. "You do know, don't you?" she queried with a certain spark to her   
brown eyes.  
Smiling, the girl nodded timidly and slipped the crystal into her   
robes. "I suppose I do." Turning her head toward the bloody warrior near the  
center of the room, she sighed miserably. "But I think that it doesn't   
matter anymore."  
************  
  
Heart matters... Heart shatters... Heart clatters to the floor...  
************  
  
The black clouds suddenly seemed to burst, giving away to a brightly   
blue sky. The young man, who was sitting in a window-side seat in his living  
room, jumped a good mile into the air as he witnessed the phenomena.  
Brushing his dark brown bangs from his eyes, he looked out on the   
glittering city of Crystal Tokyo. It seemed to be a Heaven, its quartz-  
covered palace and perfectly managed streets clean and shining after the day  
of rain.  
"A brand new day," smiled Todd Walker, his blue eyes glimmering as he   
stared out at the world. "I like it."  
************  
  
Faith matters... Hope shatters... And love gives you all and more...  
************  
  
The Galactic Sailors gathered around the blood-covered body of their   
fallen leader. Her bright, scarlet eyes were closed, her saber clutched in   
her hand as she lay on the ground.  
"It happened too fast," sighed Helios, shaking his head slowly as he   
gazed down at the body of his beautiful Princess. "I was her target, and she  
dove in front of me..."  
Sailor Phoenix, who had been crouched at the side of the still young   
woman, shook her head slowly and rose. Her face was completely pale as she   
gazed down at the small smudge of half-dried blood she'd gotten on her   
glove. And yet, somehow, she didn't have the will to wipe it off.  
She took a shuddering breath. "There's no pulse," she breathed, her   
eyes welling up with tears as she sniffled and tried to smile. "I'm afraid   
that she never had a chance..."  
"This coming from a Sailor Scout?" chortled a voice suddenly as two   
characters, dressed completely in white, strode into the chamber through a   
door. One was a tall female, her sky-blue tresses and bright silver eyes   
leading her to be considered quite beautiful. Accompanying her, holding one   
of her hands enveloped in his, was an equally tall, muscular man with   
shaggy, moss-colored tresses and deep brown eyes. They were Abigail, the   
temporary High Priest of Elysion, and her traveling companion, Brice.  
The priestess smiled brightly and let go of her friend's hand,   
striding straight toward the Master of Elysion. "I'm sorry, Master," she   
began her explanation, trying desperately to sound neither complacent nor   
annoying. "I know I told you that we were leaving to return to Elysion,   
however--"  
"What are you doing here?" hissed the man, his fists clenched at his   
sides as he glared teary daggers at the young woman. "Can't you see that I   
have been through enough pain in a day than to have to cope with the likes   
of YOU?"  
Catching him by the collar of his tunic, the young woman lowered her   
eyes, their unusual color adding to the frightening edge of her glare. "I am  
here," she retorted in a low growl, "to invoke the legendary 'life' spell."   
She released him and rested her hands on her hips. "Unless, of course, YOU   
would like to try that same spell, a spell that only the nuns of Elysion can  
use."  
Helios crossed his arms over his chest, not backing down in the least.  
"Why is it that you, sweet-as-sugar-to-everyone-else Abigail, mix as well   
with me as oil mixes with water?" he demanded in a low tone.  
Rolling her eyes, the young woman tossed her head of hair. "It's   
because you're stubborn," she retorted, "and it's the only way I can deal   
with the likes of you."  
There was a tug on her robes, and she glanced down to see the tiny,   
redheaded 'daughter' of the Princess Serenity. "Can you save her?" whispered  
Angel Moon weakly, staring up at the woman. Her left wing was torn on the   
top, dried blood matting the feathers together. It looked quite painful,   
actually, and the blue-haired one felt her resolve waver.  
Could she really save the Princess using a spell that no one had used   
in a thousand years?  
Did she have a choice?  
"Of course, little one," she replied, smiling brightly down at the   
child. She batted her eyelashes slightly and smoothed the skirts of her   
outfit. "Don't you worry."  
Angel Moon pulled away, and Abigail stepped forward hesitantly, her   
leather sandals hardly sturdy footgear for the bloody floor. She glanced   
down at the Princess who she had only met days before.  
Even in death, Sailor Moon was the most beautiful woman she had ever   
seen.  
Wordlessly, she kneeled by soldier's head and closed her eyes.   
"Now..."  
She gulped.  
"Now, we pray."  
************  
  
Don't give up, you cannot lose...  
************  
  
Taking a deep breath, the young woman began to whisper words in an   
arcane language, their guttural sound almost painful to the ears. She moved   
her hands in a precise pattern, their motions perfectly matching up with   
each symbol. It was almost a dance in its own way, beautiful and mystical...  
And seemingly deadly.  
Brice clutched his hands to the chest of his robes, lips moving along   
with every last word, his breathing matching her infliction perfectly. For  
months, she had secretly practiced the ancient life spell under the roof of   
the Keep of Priests. It had, for centuries, been passed down from nuns to   
other nuns, never leaving the convent.  
Until now.  
And it would bring the Princess back to life.  
In theory.  
Suddenly, Abigail's eyes popped open, and her hands fell to her lap. A  
bead of sweat dripped off the tip of her nose as she stared down at the body  
before her.  
Silence.  
Angel Moon whimpered slightly, looking to the silver-haired man behind  
her for support. Helios' lips curved slightly into a smile.  
"Watch."  
Silver, white, gold, and black suddenly streamed out of Sailor Moon's   
still body, wrapping around her form just as the ribbons of her   
transformation did. Sparkling, glittering bits of energy, like stars fallen   
from the night sky, blinked about them.  
And then, the colors disappeared and Princess Serenity, dressed in her  
normal, white gown, locket laying on her chest, sat up. She clutched one   
hand to her forehead and blinked red eyes, confused.  
"God, do I have a headache," she mumbled, not even noticing her   
surroundings.  
There was a pause before her friends burst out in a round of hysteric   
giggles and joyous crying. Sailor Polaris buried herself in the Starlit   
Prince's embrace, crying into his tuxedo. The Keeper of the Nebulae caught   
the hand of the Master of Time and squeezed, sharing with him a secret   
smile. The other Sailor Scouts exchanged frantic hugs, and Helios wiped away  
tears.  
"MAMA!" shrieked Angel Moon, diving into the embrace of her reawakened  
'mother.' She buried her face in the shoulder of the young woman, tears once  
again falling down her cheeks. Reeny smiled slightly, tears of her own   
glistening in her eyes, and stroked the braid of her child. "I was so   
worried!" sobbed the girl as her mother tried to console her. "I thought you  
were gone for good!"  
Looking up at her one true love, the Sailor Scout of the Moon sighed   
and let a tear of her own slide down a pale cheek. "So did I..."  
"You did well, you know," stated Brice as he watched the scene play   
before him, a slight smile touching his lips. "That was amazing."  
Abigail grunted, not looking at him. She didn't dare look up, because   
she knew, if she did, she would never be able to hold a straight face again.  
"I saved her," she whispered weakly. "That's all."  
Pulling the High Priest of Elysion into his arms, the young man smiled  
and laid a kiss atop her head. "You saved more than her," he pointed out in   
a soft tone. "You saved the world."  
************  
  
But hope doesn't come unless you choose...  
************  
  
"Are we leaving, now?" questioned the Princess of the Earth as she   
leaned on her Prince, red eyes surveying the black-marble room.   
Sailor Phoenix glanced up from her computer. "Once we leave," she   
stated, "that's it. This space will be forever gone, just a memory of what   
has been."  
From somewhere in the group of Galactic Sailors, a voice muttered   
"good"... And then grunted as it was elbowed by Sailor Comet.  
"But..." Angel Moon glanced up at the woman she called mother and   
pulled a small, orange ball from her robes. "If we leave, what good is   
this?"  
Once again, everyone stared down at the Crystal of Illusion, unsure   
what to think. The legendary, world-ending Crystal... Entrusted to a five-  
year-old of its choosing? None of the soldiers were quite sure what to do.  
Except the Keeper of the Nebulae. "You must use the Crystal," she   
stated blandly, leaning heavily on her staff as she spoke. Everyone sent   
wayward glances in her direction. She grinned. "You know, as well as I do,   
that you're the most pure of us all. You won't end the world." Her green   
eyes sparkled. "And, if you use it, that's the end of the Crystal."  
"The end?" questioned the Master of Time, staring up at the girl   
beside him. "Then why didn't they just use it way-back-when?"  
The Keeper shrugged. "Perhaps they were frightened," she supplied   
noncommittally, gazing down at him. "Or perhaps they were unsure how it   
worked."  
Gulping, Sailor Earth eyed the little sphere. "Do we want to risk it?"  
she croaked, her brow furrowing in thought. "After all..."  
"If we do not," put in Sailor Chibi-Pluto, staring down at the round   
object in her friend's hand, "then this entire situation could replay itself  
in a few years."  
"Not the perfect world," agreed the Starlit Prince with a stiff nod.  
Taking a step toward the white-garbed angel, the Keeper of the Nebulae  
smiled. "Do you remember the words?"  
She nodded and gulped back all her fears. It was now...  
Or never...  
"Light of tomorrow and dusk of today," she began, voice shaking. She   
closed her gray eyes, trying desperately to focus all her energy toward   
invoking the power of the crystal, "envision my dream in the following way.   
Bring darkness to reality, the least pure wish come true... Reinvent the   
Earth for my vision, bring life a--"  
Silence. Everyone stared.  
Ginnie had ended before the spell was done! Bring life a... A...   
Rhymed with true...  
"Anew," whispered a soft voice in her ear.  
The voice of the Angel of the Moon, Amber.  
Her eyes flew open and she thrust the crystal out before her.   
"ANEW!"  
There was a POP! and the crystal seemed to melt away into nothingness.  
All the Galactic Sailors stared at the girl, expecting something fantastic   
to happen.  
Aurora Borealis blinked her brown eyes. "That's IT?" she questioned   
suspiciously. "No giant implosion or great light show?"  
Shrugging, the Princess of the Earth leaned against her true love and   
smiled slightly. "I suppose that the Crystal's just not what we expected,"   
she commented offhandedly.  
That was one thing they could ALL agree with.  
************  
  
Heart matters...  
************  
  
"Lisa! Lisa, get a load of THIS!"  
The young handmaiden sighed, shaking her head. The heaviness in her   
heart had been lifted, but NOW... She glanced down the hall at the where   
the spunky new handmaiden had disappeared to, not sure exactly what to think  
of the next 'surprise' that was in store. The auburn-haired new-comer,   
hardly eighteen, found everything from candleholders to stoves dreadfully   
interesting...  
Striding through the door toward Crystal Gardens, she rolled her blue   
eyes. "What NOW, Misty?" she questioned, annoyed.  
Suddenly, there was a remarkable sight.  
Crystal Gardens, lit by the bright new sun that had dawned over the   
city, was filled with birds. Birds of all shapes, sizes, and colors flew   
through the air and perched on branches, squawking and chirping more loudly   
than anything she had ever heard.  
The thin, younger handmaiden tugged on her companion's dress. "Is it   
ALWAYS like this?" she gaped, amazed.  
Lisa smiled, thinking of only one thing.  
Ambriel.  
"Yes," she lied, feeling tears come to her eyes. "Yes it is."  
************  
  
-I Know-  
Look around...  
(Ambriel stares down at Tokyo from the top tower of Crystal Palace)  
So many things aren't clear...  
(Aeris and Peter stand before the Gate of Time with terrified expressions)  
Don't worry, though...  
(Haley smiles and turns a page in her book)  
You know that I'll be there...  
(Orion and Orb chase after the kittens)  
A lot of things are so uncertain...  
(Tara, near tears, bites her lip)  
The future's on its way...  
(Michelle holds Delaney, an amazed smile on her face)  
Look into my crying eyes...  
(Reeny wipes tears off her cheeks while Serenity watches nervously)  
Don't take your love away!  
(Alice slams the door in her father's face)  
  
Sometimes, the road looks long...  
(Lyra looks up at the North Star)  
And sometimes, the world seems wrong...  
(Phoebe hugs her mother around the waist)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(The six Galactic Sailors hold up their lockets)  
  
Sometimes, you feel weak...  
(Richard grabs onto the wrist of a falling Celeste)  
And sometimes, the future looks bleak...  
(Terrence shakes his head as Sailor Pluto walks through the Gate of Time)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(Ambriel, Celeste, and Aeris all hold up their transformation pens)  
  
Times will change...  
(Tara, robes flying, chases Joshua around the courtyard)  
People will change, too...  
(Haley plays with her now-long hair)  
But deep inside...  
(Helios takes Reeny's hands in his)  
I always will love you...  
(Richard bends down to kiss Lyra)  
I suppose there are questions now...  
(Peter tugs on Terrence's pant leg)  
The answers are so far...  
(Alice and Phoebe dive for a floating sphere and miss)  
But look at me and smile now...  
(Hannah and Brian both smile as Alex takes Delaney into her arms)  
I am your guiding star!  
(Lyra and Richard stare at Celeste and Peter, who are watching the sunset)  
  
Sometimes, the road looks long...  
(Lyra looks up at the North Star)  
And sometimes, the world seems wrong...  
(Phoebe hugs her mother around the waist)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(The six Galactic Sailors hold up their lockets)  
  
Sometimes, you feel weak...  
(Richard grabs onto the wrist of a falling Celeste)  
And sometimes, the future looks bleak...  
(Terrence shakes his head as Sailor Pluto walks through the Gate of Time)  
But I know, I know, all you need is love.  
(Ambriel, Celeste, and Aeris all hold up their transformation pens)  
  
I know...  
(Chibi-Pluto, the Angel Moon, and Chibi-Star stand together)  
I know...  
(The Galactic Sailors stand together)  
All you need is love...  
(All nine girls stand together)  
All you need...is...love...  
(The Prince and Princess of the Stars kiss)  
************  
  
Next time, shorter ramblings and more story. Plus, dedications (don't gag!)   
and...the end of 2nd season...  
  



	14. And the Music Plays On

And the Music Plays On  
  
(Recommended music to play with fic: Jim Brickman's CD "Picture This," track  
13. It's a song called "Hero's Dream." All piano and very, very nice.)   
--  
Here we are, the last story of second season (minus a songfic or three ^_^).  
Note: There's a teeny little end-of-SMS spoiler in here. If you're totally   
offended by that and yet have made it this far with the whole Sets-in-S   
thing, that's okay. Just don't read it. However, you should read it; the   
spoiler isn't THAT bad. It's been a long time, and it's definitely been a   
fight of sorts, but we've made it. We've seen new characters, new plot   
twists, new risks, some angst, and a Crystal of Illusion. And it's been fun.  
So, without further adieu, I'd like to thank the following group of people   
for all they've done:  
-To Christina/"Orion": So you sort of fell from the position of Galactic Co-  
writer, but you're great! ^_^ And when's your Usagi story going to be done,   
again?  
-To Ginnie: You didn't get turned good, but you did get to have some fun.   
Thanks for sticking by this project...and threatening my life every time I   
said I was skipping a week of story.  
-To Andrea: "Gee, I don't know Quatre. That's awfully big..." You've fallen   
from the world of Sailor Moon fanfiction, but thanks for putting up with   
this and actually reading it! And for listening to me whine. A lot.  
-To Joan: Thanks for letting me borrow you for the use of this story (though  
you didn't mind) and just putting up with me, oh great Editor-sama.  
-To Brian: You're someone I couldn't possibly get through life without,   
whether you like it, know it, or not. And I'm glad for it.   
-To the AMHC: The 'Powers That Be' deemed, long ago, that we should forever   
be friends. I like those Powers, you know that?  
-To Dania: Thanks for being a fan. ^_^ It's good to know that it's not only   
my hometown friends and a few other assorted net-buds who read this. I need   
the pick-me-up of knowing that, sometimes. And watch for yet another little   
cameo of yours in here.   
-To the rest of the "parody-play" e-group: When I figure out why I like you   
weirdoes so much, I'll let you know. Until then, just smile and nod. And...   
::clears throat:: "Blame Canada!" I COULD have been a Queen...  
-To everyone who has gotten this far: Thank you. If you weren't reading   
this, I probably would have given up long enough. Not that I would have been  
allowed to, however... I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one reading   
these stories. It's a lot of work, but it's worth it.  
Also, this episode's a little on the shorter side. Why? Because there isn't   
a lot of wrapping-up to DO. It's just the end of second season. Well,   
whatever, enjoy.  
--  
And that, my friends, is where the story begins...  
************  
  
"You know, I'm still not completely certain what a Galactic Sailor   
IS," he admitted guilty, his hands thrust in the pockets of his khakis as   
they walked down the sidewalk. It was a lovely spring afternoon, only a full  
day after the clouds over Tokyo had cleared, and the sun was glittering in   
the sky, smiling down on the world. His blue eyes were focused on the gray,   
emotionless concrete; he felt silly, asking her this much.  
Chuckling, the teen girl flipped a strand of black hair away from her   
face and grinned at her companion. "Well, Sebastian," she replied coyly,   
"I'm awfully surprised that you asked."  
He felt himself flush. "Really?" he croaked.  
Tara beamed, her light green eyes sparkling as she tucked her arm in   
his and beamed up at him. "Really," she nodded reassuringly, "but I'm glad   
you did."  
Raising his head, the tall blonde glanced down at his dinner date.   
"And why is that?"  
"Well," she grinned, leaning her head on his arm, "if we're going to   
have a relationship, we most definitely have to start SOMEwhere!"  
Sebastian smiled and ran his free hand through his hair. He couldn't   
argue with that.  
************  
  
"I don't believe that your apartment is this nice!" gaped the blonde   
woman as she glanced around the living room, her blue eyes wide as she took   
each little detail about the room. Kicking off her shoes, she stepped out of  
the tiny foyer-like area into the apartment proper, smiling. "Thank you for   
inviting us over, Richard."  
The young man smiling charmingly, shaking the hand of the short,   
grinning woman before him. "I'm just glad that you and Mr. Mokoti--"  
"Andrew," interrupted the man in question, who was already settling   
into the couch, feet propped up on the coffee table.  
"--could make it," finished the redhead, adjusting his glasses. He   
accepted an apple pie from the woman and started into the kitchen. "Lyra   
will be out in a moment; have a seat."  
Mina nodded at him and smiled slightly, sitting down in a large blue   
armchair. "This is so nice," she breathed to her husband, still glancing   
around the apartment. "The last time that I was here, I was in such a nasty  
mood that I screamed at Molly and stormed out." She folded her hands in her   
lap and leaned back in her seat, letting a long sigh escape her lips. Her   
azure gaze turned wistful as she glanced at a small portrait of Richard and   
Lyra, standing together in the park, arm-in-arm. "Our little girl's a grown-  
up now, isn't she?"  
There was a creak of a floorboard behind her, and the woman   
immediately knew who was behind her. "I am a grown-up," replied Lyra with a   
slight smile, resting her elbows atop the chair as she peered down at her   
mother. "I've come a long way from that day when I first met Reeny." She   
pursed her lips together, still staring down at the blonde woman. "And I'm a  
new person."  
Sighing, the woman glanced up at her daughter through thick blonde   
bangs and smiled weakly. "You're right, of course," she admitted softly,   
"but you'll always be my little girl..."  
From his spot in the kitchen, Richard smiled and dried his hands on   
the dishtowel. "Looks like mother and daughter are getting along again," he   
commented to the silver kitten at his feet.  
Cassiopeia beamed up at him, the golden star on her brow seemingly   
brighter than ever before. "And you know what?"  
"What's that?"  
"It's about time!"  
************  
  
Her hands trembled as she stared down at the sheet of paper in her   
hands, breath coming in ragged gasps. Ice-colored eyes traced over the words  
repetitively, reading and re-reading each and every syllable. Her heart was   
racing, stomach churning, knees wobbling...  
"Pheebs, I was wondering where you wandered off too," commented a   
voice as Marie trudged down the wooden steps to the basement. Her mahogany   
eyes glanced at the frozen teen, and she furrowed her brow. "Phoebe?"  
The braid-headed teen didn't glance up toward the woman. She was   
standing in the very center of her precious 'dance studio,' unmoving, as she  
stared down at the letter before her. She didn't smile, nor frown... But she  
was obviously amazed by something.  
Gulping, she closed her bright eyes. "Do you remember that movie I   
tried out for?" she asked softly, her voice weak and shaky as she tightened   
her grip on the sheet of paper before her.  
"Oh, Phoebe, I'm sorry!" exclaimed the woman, rushing toward her niece  
and offering a consolatory hug for the girl. The sad smile on her face was   
full of empathy and caring... Until she stopped.  
The teen had shoved the letter before her face, still completely   
stoic.  
"Read."  
Taking the sheet from the pale hand of the thespian, Marie cleared her  
throat. "'Dear Miss Urawa,'" she read aloud, her voice marred with the   
confusion of not knowing why she should be doing as the girl commanded. "'We  
are surprised and honored to inform you that you have received the "Star   
Struck" role of Kennedy Marshall. On June fifteenth, we will send an agent   
to your home to discuss...'" She trailed off, a bright smile crossing her   
face as she turned her head to look at the frozen teen before her. "Pheebs?"  
Raising her head, Phoebe grinned and opened her eyes. They were both   
slightly teary, but she ignored the fact long enough to jump high into the   
air and clap her hands together. "I made it!" she exclaimed loudly, dancing   
about the room. "I earned my big break! Stardom, here I come!" She paused in  
her excitement to stare at the woman before her. "And you know what, Marie?"  
"I have a feeling you'll tell me," her aunt responded with a smile,   
her arms crossed as she stared at the girl.  
The navy-haired teen rested her hands on her hips. "The world is   
safe," she stated matter-of-factly, "evil is destroyed, and Crystal Tokyo is  
a utopia again." She pressed her lips together. "The only thing that's left   
is for me to pursue happiness."  
"And?"  
"And," smiled the Sailor Scout known as Phoenix, "that's EXACTLY what   
I'm going to do."  
************  
  
High-heeled footfalls echoed on stone steps as she strode out of her   
apartment building. Auburn tresses, curled for the occasion, were pulled   
into a high ponytail with a clip and allowed to flow down the back of her   
head and neck. A floor-length gown, colored the same as the deepest seas,   
was ruffled in the breeze. She pulled her lavender shawl closer to her bare   
shoulders and glanced down at the young man who stood on the sidewalk,   
waiting.  
Upon seeing his date, Todd Walker's jaw dropped nearly to the ground.   
Never before had Alice, though a very pretty girl, looked so stunning. In a   
strapless, flowing navy evening gown, she was amazingly gorgeous. Even with   
the shawl around her shoulders--a shawl that, under any other conditions,   
would not match--she was the picture of feminine beauty.  
Grinning, she brushed a loose strand of hair from her face and smiled   
at her prom date. "How do I look?" she questioned coyly, batting her long   
eyelashes toward the teen as she stepped down to his level.  
He gulped and tried to control his grin from becoming all too goofy.   
"Gorgeous..." he breathed, holding out a rose toward her. "Absolutely   
stunning..."  
She wrinkled her nose. "ANOTHER gift?" she lamented, accepting the   
flower reluctantly. "Didn't I tell you to stop DOING that?"  
But the anger in her voice was only mocked, and the glimmer of   
annoyance in her eyes was nothing more than the clever flirting of an   
adoring girl. And Todd knew it.  
Opening the door to the pitch-black limo, the young man bowed deeply,   
his deep brown tresses falling into his eyes. "Your chariot, my Princess?"  
"Princess?" she questioned, an amused smile crossing her pink lips. "I  
like that..."  
************  
  
She held out the small sheet of paper toward her mother, teal eyes   
guiltily focusing on the floor of the large den as she did so. "I...   
Here..." she stammered, chewing heavily on her bottom lip as the tall woman   
accepted the letter. "I was going to tell you when I first got the   
application, but..."  
"What is it?" questioned Michelle, leaning over on the couch so she   
could see over the shoulder of her blonde wife.   
Alexandra's gray-green eyes went wide as she silently read the letter.  
Her lips fell slightly open, and words formed... Words that she couldn't   
manage to get out. Her partner's reaction was much the same, her blue eyes   
flying from the sheet to her younger daughter and back to the sheet again.  
And Haley stood, hands folded behind her back, in the center of the   
den, feeling more like a small child than a nineteen-year-old fighter for   
justice. "I'm...sorry..." she muttered, licking her parched lips. "I know   
that I should have told you right away, but I couldn't..."  
"This is..." The blonde tomboy glanced up at the teen, her eyes full   
of adoration and amazement. "Haley, this is astonishing!" Her stern   
expression gave away to a bright smile. "I would be mad, but this is far   
too impressive to overlook!"  
The brunette swallowed and stared at her parents. "Really?" she   
questioned nervously, twiddling her thumbs behind her back as she spoke.   
"Because, you know, I can always decline and..."  
Raising an eyebrow, the aqua-haired musician stood and crossed the   
room, reaching out and resting a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "I don't   
think you understand, Haley," she stated, her bright eyes boring into the   
girl's soul. "THIS is no laughing matter; THIS is a full-paid scholarship to  
Notre Dame, one of the premiere American universities." She smiled and   
ruffled her child's hair. "We are VERY proud of you."  
Feeling tears biting at her eyes, the teen pulled herself away from   
her mother, staring at the floor. "I'm sorry," she whispered, voice   
wavering, "but I have to go...think..."  
As the retreating footsteps of her daughter echoed down the hall and   
stairs, Michelle furrowed her brow and glanced at the woman behind her.   
"What was that?" she questioned, confused.  
With a slight, mysterious smile, Alex brushed some lint from her pants  
and shrugged. "I don't think she wants to leave."  
"Will she?" inquired the aquatic one.  
The blonde nodded. "She'll figure it out," she answered cryptically,   
"it just may take some time."  
************  
  
And, high in the sky above a school known as Mugen Gakuen, a   
helicopter exploded.  
************  
  
Night fell heavily on Tokyo, the stars shining more brightly than ever  
before. In the midst of a lush, green park, a group of young men and women   
sat in a circle, warmed by a small, crackling fire they'd built. Behind   
them, five small children chased fireflies, giggling and tripping over one   
another in the evening's moonlight.  
"Well, life is back to normal," smiled the Princess of the Earth as   
she leaned into the warm embrace of a tall, silver-haired man. Her pink hair  
seemed to glow in the pale firelight as she smiled at her friends. "We all   
have love, happiness, belonging..."  
Phoebe sighed and tucked her legs to her chest, resting her chin on   
her knees. "And Alice's at prom," she put in, smiling slightly, "so all   
we're missing is Haley..."  
Throwing up his hands in exasperation, the young, golden-brown haired   
man tried to avoid all the prying glances from the Galactic Sailors. "Don't   
you look at me!" he protested defensively, trying to hide the flush that was  
coming. "Just because you wanted to get us to reconcile..."  
"After it was already too late," chortled the brunette stranger at his  
side, grinning widely. Everyone turned to gaze at her, as though they were   
suddenly aware of her presence for the first time. She shrugged. "So I got   
them back together," she protested. "So what?"  
"And you are..." prompted the raven-haired one, staring.  
With a grin, the girl with the Irish lilt pushed her glasses up on her  
nose and cocked her head to one side. "Joan!" she exclaimed excitedly. "I'm   
Eric's exchange student!"  
Shaking his head, the tall blonde man shot a look down at his miko   
companion. "You have the oddest friends, Tara," he stated blandly.   
The young woman on his arm rolled her green eyes. "I've never met her   
before," she defended herself in slight annoyance.  
"Well, you shouldn't know me," smiled the stranger as she picked up a   
stick and began to prod at the flaming logs. "But I certainly know who you   
are, Miss Earth."  
The temple maiden blinked in shock and said nothing.  
Laughing, the Irish teen rose and seized her backpack off the grass.   
"Well, I'd best be going," she stated, smoothing her cargo pants as she   
bowed to the group. "Unlike Eric-the-senior, I still have to take finals."   
She waved her good-byes and was off, her shadow retreating down the path   
slowly as she whistled the tune of some strange song.  
"Where IS Haley?" questioned Phoebe of the young man, not quite   
certain if he knew or not. "She left in a rush right after I brought the   
mail in today..."  
Biting his lower lip, the 13th-grade male focused on the dancing   
flames. "I don't know," he admitted weakly, his voice low. "I tried to call   
the Ten'ous this afternoon, but her mother said that she wasn't accepting   
calls."  
"Yeah, Haley's in a bad mood," commented little Peter, plopping down   
on the ground beside Helios, Celeste following quickly in his footsteps. "I   
guess she got into some really fancy school in America and doesn't want to   
go."  
The blonde at his side furrowed her brow. "But she SHOULD go," she put  
in softly, warming her hands as she spoke. "Most the schools in the states   
are incredible, and I'm sure she'd find the chance of a lifetime there..."  
Reeny nodded sympathetically. "But would she want to leave her   
friends?" she asked in a soft tone, her red eyes glancing up at the dark   
sky. "We're really all she has, anymore..."  
"The house WOULD be empty without her," sighed the braided one weakly,  
playing with a strand of wavy hair.  
Tara forced a slight smile. "As would our hearts."  
Wordlessly, Eric Hartford stood up and started away from the group,   
obviously caught up in his own thoughts as he retreated. Everyone watched   
him leave, not really having anything to say to him.  
It was a long, awkward silence that swept over the group. Soon,   
Ambriel had rejoined her supposed 'parents,' leaving the last two children   
to play alone amongst the fireflies.  
"Next week," thought the soldier of the Moon aloud, "we're going to   
need a Scout Meeting."  
Everyone glanced suspiciously at her, not sure why the comment reared   
its head. But no one sought to argue, either.  
"Look, Sissy!" exclaimed little Josh Yuuichirou as he rushed toward   
the firelight, shaggy tresses bouncing as he run. Behind him, walking at a   
much more subdued pace, came the green-haired child of Pluto. Her colorful   
eyes were more alight than usual as she watched the small child open his   
hands and let a firefly escape into the air. "See?" he questioned his   
sixteen-year-old sister excitedly. "It's beautiful!" His purple eyes   
followed the small insect as it slowly drifted up into the sky...  
And landed on his nose.  
Everyone chortled at the sight the boy made; he was practically going   
cross-eyed trying to see the bug on his nose. Even Aeris giggled slightly,   
but she immediately cupped her hand to her mouth as soon as she noticed how   
very immature she was being.   
"Cute," grinned the blonde-haired girl on the grass, glancing up at   
her staring friend. "Wouldn't you say so, Aeris?"  
She tossed her head indignantly. "Silly," she retorted quickly,   
sticking her nose into the air.  
Celeste was about to continue her prying when, from behind her back,   
Reeny produced a large bag of fluffy white sweets. "Roasted marshmallows,   
anyone?" she asked coyly.  
Laughing, smiling, and enjoying life, the present Galactic Sailors and  
their friends dove in.  
************  
  
"And then, I suggest that you fold the cloth diapers long-ways..."  
The doorway to the Ten'ou-Hartford-Chiba kitchen cracked open,   
surprising the eight young women in the room. Each had a small child, the   
oldest of all the babies probably only nine or ten months old.   
In the center of the room was Hannah, her purple eyes gleaming as she   
held up a single cloth diaper. It was as though she was hoisting a symposium  
on the subject.   
Seeing the young man in the doorway, the black haired one laid her   
diaper down on the countertop. "Well, hello Eric," she greeted him with a   
grin. "Looking for Brian?"  
Stepping into the room, the teen raked a hand through his short, gold-  
brown hair and blushed slightly. "Actually, no," he responded, pursing his   
lips nervously. "I was looking for Haley, but..." He scratched the back of   
his neck and glanced around the room, a bit confused. "Am I interrupting   
something, Miss Hannah?"  
She chuckled and shook her head. "This is just my baby health care   
group," she explained, gesturing to the eight strange women who were seated   
about the room. "Meet Jessica, Tora, Connie, Ophelia, Megan, Barb, Samantha,  
and Dania." Her smiled never wavered. "Tonight was my night to host, can you  
tell?"  
Eric just stared. Hannah certainly had two faces; she could be either   
the cryptic, solemn soldier of destruction or just another grinning   
housewife, depending on the situation.  
"Haley's outside," she continued, pointing a single finger to the   
sliding glass door behind and to the left of her. "I'm sure that she'll be  
glad to see you."  
The young man nodded and started for the door, not really saying   
anything as he beat a hasty retreat.  
One woman, who was obviously somewhat pregnant, cocked her head to the  
side and blinked at the hostess. "Who was that?" she asked, bewildered.  
Picking the diaper back up, the black-haired one smiled. "That's   
Brian's little brother," she explained, "and Haley's boyfriend."  
"Sisters in love with brothers?" came the befuddled response. "And I   
thought that only happened in movies!"  
Chuckling, Hannah winked a purple eye at her friend. "Sometimes,   
Dania," she explained coyly, "life is a lot more like the movies than you'd   
think."  
And there was a click as the glass door shut behind a young man.  
************  
  
"I'm glad to know that the world is safe," she breathed, sitting on   
the edge of her cloud as she watched the bright lights of Crystal Tokyo.   
Though it was night, everything about the city seemed to have an impossibly   
serene, comforting air about it. She sighed and rested her chin in her   
hands, smiling.  
A silvery light, shaped roughly like a human, perched next to her.   
"But what now?" 'she' questioned, feminine voice echoing through the clouds   
as the form leaned back in the air. Her companion sent her a confused   
glance. "Well, you're probably in pretty good standings with Heaven right   
about now," she clarified, shooting her friend a bright smile. "And you   
would make an incredible angel."  
With a chuckle, the Angel of the Moon brushed a strand of silver hair   
from her eyes and glanced at the ever-changing, human-like shape beside her.  
"I most certainly like you better as a cat, Orion," she smiled with a slight  
shake of her head, blue eyes sparkling in mirth. "You're not as cynical that  
way." Her smile faded, however, as she glanced up at the starry firmament.   
"But, no, I don't think I'd be much of an angel, despite what you say."  
"Really?" questioned the Guardian of the Silver Star, raising an   
eyebrow-like portion of her brow as she stared at the tall, thin woman. "Why  
do you say that?"  
"Because," responded the dead Ambriel, "my place is here. Where I can   
take care of my daughter and make sure that she doesn't make the mistakes I   
did."  
Orion shook her head and rolled her bright green eyes. "You didn't   
make mistakes," she retorted. "You loved someone."  
"When you're an angel, it's the same thing." She closed her blue eyes   
and took a deep, saddened breath. "But I don't mind," she continued, a happy  
lilt to her voice. "Because I like it better here than in Heaven."  
Orion nodded. "And I do, too," she agreed as she stared down at   
Crystal Tokyo with a smile.  
************  
  
She sat on the little wooden slat that was the 'swing,' slowly   
drifting back and forth in the darkness, watching the fireflies dance in the  
great backyard.  
Why? She'd asked herself that very question numerous times, never   
really getting much of an answer. She'd sent in the form a few days late,   
mostly for fear of having to leave and then, in the end, she had to leave   
anyway. And her parents were excited beyond reasonable measures, which made   
it even harder... Harder to go...  
She sighed and wiped tears from her bright teal eyes, trying   
desperately to avoid really crying. More than anything, she hated crying...   
It made her feel weak, helpless, and alone... It made her feel like someone   
she wasn't...  
"Haley?" questioned a soft, deep voice from behind her. She jumped   
involuntarily, slipping off the single thin slat of wood and landing hard on  
the ground in a patch of mud. Immediately, tears welled up in her eyes, and   
this time, she didn't try to hold them back.  
Clambering to her feet, she clenched a fist and began a pursuit of the  
voice's owner, knowing instinctively who it was. "Why?" she asked, her angry  
tone shaking as she began to cry. "Why is it that, of all the people in the   
world, you had to pick me?" She crunched her eyes shut as she strode   
forward, automatically stopping just feet shy of running completely into her  
unwanted visitor. "Why did you have to fall in love with me and tell me? Why  
did you have to make my love of you come back just when I thought I was   
freed of you?" She opened her tear-filled orbs of teal and glared straight   
at her ex-boyfriend--or was he really her boyfriend again? She didn't know.   
"And why did Notre Dame want me, Eric? WHY ME?"  
The young man froze, copper eyes wide, like a deer caught in   
headlights. There were two, maybe three, scant feet between him and his   
angel, and he adored the idea of pulling her into his arms. But what would   
she say?  
For the first time in the three years he'd known her, Eric Hartford   
really took a long look at the slender, athletic woman. Long, shining   
tresses of brown hair rimmed her face and flowed down, over her shoulders,   
to gently curl off around chest-length. Bright teal eyes, the color of the   
sea, were rimmed by thick lashes. She wasn't extremely tall, but she was as   
muscular as she was shapely, with round hips, a slender waist, and defined   
thighs and calves. Garbed plainly in a pair of jean shorts and a T-shirt,   
she was his epitome of feminine beauty, despite the tears falling down her   
face.  
And he realized, again, he loved her more than anything in the world.   
"I'm sorry," he whispered, opening his arms slightly and offering a   
hug to the sobbing young woman before him. "I didn't know about the college   
thing until tonight."  
Wordlessly, she rushed forward into his embrace, wrapping her arms   
around his neck and burying her face in his shoulders. Strong arms rose to   
encircle her waist tightly.  
They stood there in silence for a moment, basking in the cool breeze   
of the late spring night. Fireflies twinkled about them, lighting the sky.   
The moon and the stars shone down upon them, the ultimate in romantic   
lighting.  
Then, Haley raised her head to Eric's, resting her brow against his   
and staring into his eyes. "I love you so much," she choked, hardly able to   
breathe as she gazed at him. "I don't want to go to America if it means   
losing you." She tightened her grip on his neck, trying desperately to pull   
herself further into his warm embrace. "I will always be bound to the   
others, to the Galactic Sailors, but you..." Frantically, she pressed her   
lips to his, ravishing his mouth as though all of Hell's fury was at their   
backs, trying to pull them apart. He responded quickly, holding her more   
closely than before, desperately grasping onto that one sweet moment, a   
moment that could never again be.  
After a long moment of intense, loving passion, the young woman pulled  
her mouth from his and shook her head, blinking away the crystalline tears   
that once again welled up in her eyes. "I don't want to lose you, Eric.   
Never."  
"You don't have to," he returned softly, tangling his hands in her   
silken tresses. "I'll go with you."  
She blinked at him, staring confusedly at him. She pulled away a   
little, rearing back in surprise. "You'll WHAT?" she gasped, staring up at   
him through her thick bangs. "Are you serious?"  
He nodded, letting a bright smile cross his face as he gazed down at   
her. "I've always wanted to study abroad," he admitted nonchalantly, his   
expression one of undying love and adoration, "and I would rather be with   
you than with any other person on this planet."  
Grinning excitedly, she began to hop up and down, still in his arms.   
"I love you!" she exclaimed, pausing in her little jumps to hug him tightly.  
"I love you, I love you, I forever love you!" She pulled away from him and   
stood on her tiptoes to lay a kiss on his forehead. "And I want you to come!  
And I need you to come! And I love you!"  
Eric chuckled slightly at her antics and clasped her as close to his   
body as possible. "I love you, too," he whispered softly. "I love you, too."  
And the moonlight, stars, and fireflies danced around them.  
************  
  
Her footfalls echoed on the vast marble floor as she strode down the   
hallway. Hair, long, green, and silken, flowed from the crown of her head to  
the backs of her calves, tickling her legs as she walked. Garnet eyes were   
opened widely, focused on the pair of doors that stood at the end of the   
corridor. They were large, stretching from the floor up until the vaulted   
ceiling, and most anyone would have turned tail at such a sight.  
She just brushed the bangs from her eyes.   
Throwing open the door, she stepped right into the private chambers   
belonging to King Endymion and Neo-Queen Serenity. The raven-haired man was   
snoring lightly, completely cocooned in his quilt under the bed's canopy.   
She smiled at the picture he made, the ruler of the Earth sleeping like a   
child. At home, her husband was no doubt burrowed in his own comforter the   
same way, perhaps sharing the large bed with two young children.  
How she missed her bed. How she missed her husband. How she missed her  
children.  
Red eyes pulled away from the sleeping man and glanced toward the   
window. Silvery light, cast down from the heavens and through large panes of  
glass, warmed her face as she gazed down at the young woman who was   
precariously perched on the windowsill.  
Garbed only in a thin, silken nightgown, the Queen of the Earth was   
staring out at the city--her city. Waves of golden hair cascaded down her   
back to her feet and pooled onto the floor, looking much like a sea of   
yellow. Bright cerulean eyes neither blinked nor wavered as she gazed down   
at Crystal Tokyo, aware of her visitor.  
"Is the future now secure?" she suddenly asked of the fuku-clad one,   
turning her head just enough to take a long look at her companion.  
Hidden partially in the wall's shadow, the Sailor Soldier of Pluto   
nodded solemnly, her magenta lips neither curving into a pleased smile or a   
painful frown. She was stoic, as always, as senshi were to be.  
But there was a flicker of light in her eyes, a distinctive color that  
was not normally there, and it was obvious to the timeless blonde that   
Sailor Pluto was pleased.  
"And you are home?" questioned the Queen, turning back to the city   
with her chin raised high. "For good?"  
Bowing, the green-haired one closed her eyes. "Yes, Messiah," she   
responded in her low voice, pleasure still hidden behind that all-too-  
familiar mask. "The time has come for the heirs of Pluto to accept their   
throne." For the first time, a hint of emotion lit her voice, and that   
emotion was amusement. "Though, I do not know how my children will feel   
about that..."  
Serenity chuckled, her soprano lilt echoing through the room as she   
rose from her seat and, taking one last glance at the city, turned fully to   
the Keeper of Time. "Well, my friend, I am glad," she stated as she smiled   
brightly. "I have missed you."  
"So I had guessed." Sighing, Sailor Pluto raised her head and looked   
out the window, maroon eyes focusing on the starry firmament. She took a   
deep breath and, for the first time in what had been too long, smiled a real  
smile. "The Galactic Sailors saved the world, didn't they?"  
With a nod, the Queen of the Earth also turned her gaze to the skies.   
"Yes," she agreed softly. "They did."  
************  
  
For the first time in what seemed, to the Galactic Sailors, to be   
ages, dawn came, its colors shooting across the sky in a magical display of   
nature's splendor.   
Sighing, a certain blue-haired thespian tucked her hands behind her   
head, settling into the warmth of her bath water as she stared out the   
skylight and into the heavens. Never before had the sky been so very azure,   
she decided with the slight nod of her head. She took in a deep breath,   
lavishing in the lavender fumes of her bubble bath. And the sun... When had   
the sun gotten so bright?  
Offhandedly, she mentioned these very things to her two cats, both of   
whom were perched on the wide ceramic ledge around the bathtub. The calico   
glanced down at the girl, a slight smile creeping across her whiskered face.  
A silver star glittered in the natural lighting. "Why, yes," she agreed   
softly, turning her forest-colored eyes to the window above. "It is brighter  
than ever before."  
Orb snickered and rolled his golden eyes in annoyance. "Is not," he   
retorted in a snotty tone, glancing up as well. "It's just the plain old sky  
with the same puffy white clouds..." He cocked his head to one side, nearly   
falling into the tub as he did so. "But, that one cloud DOES look like the   
Galactic Rod if you squint just right..."  
His mate sent a glare in his direction. "Don't ruin the moment,   
idiot!" she hissed as the teen in the tub smiled slightly.  
True to her grin, Phoebe let out an amused chuckle before pulling a   
wrinkled hand through her damp tresses. The waves of navy splashed back into  
the water, sending tiny droplets of the liquid onto the two animals. The   
orange-and-white one scowled and shuddered at the contact, but Orion laid   
down on the edge of the tub. "Idiot," she mumbled a second time, shaking her  
head as she batted at the water with a single furry paw.  
"How am I going to leave this place?" questioned she in a soft tone as  
she placed her hands back in the water and slowly traced long fingers   
through the fluffy bubbles that outlined her slender figure. "I love my   
friends and family so much..." She sank deeper into the warm bath, bending   
her knees and submerging all of her body except her face. "And what about   
Haley? Even if she IS going to college, she'll need a roommate." She   
wrinkled her small nose. "And Alice will be lost with just her mom, again,   
as she goes to Tokyo University."   
The male cat sighed. "You're not really worried about them, are you?"   
he asked pensively, staring at her face. "You're worried about yourself and   
how you'll cope."  
He waited. If she was really, truly upset, the reaction would be   
subtle, almost immeasurable. But, if she knew the truth--that she would   
leave, with or without the others--her reaction would be big, bold, and   
typically Phoebe.  
She sat straight up in the bathtub, the water streaming off her body   
as she bent down to glare daggers at the cat. Her icy eyes were alight with   
both mirth and annoyance as she glowered at him.  
"For your information, Captain Butt-Head," she countered in a low,   
throaty tone that was practically pulsing with mock anger, "I'm actually   
worried about my FRIENDS this time! I'm fine by myself." She tossed her   
damp hair haughtily and sank back into the tub slowly, allowing the water to  
gently caress her pale skin. "Besides," she continued with a smile, "this   
is my big break. There's no more evil, no more war... Just me and my bright   
future."  
The calico smiled widely. "And we're happy for you, Phoebe," she   
chortled, amused by the dramatic show of emotions, despite how regular it   
was.  
"Speak for yourself," grumbled her mate with another roll of his eyes.  
There was the definitive smack of a paw making contact with the back   
of a head, followed by the splash and spitting that was a cat taking a face-  
first swan dive into a bathtub full of water. The cat in question, orange   
fur hanging over his golden moon insignia, slipped and slid down the side of  
the bathtub numerous times. His female counterpart just laughed.  
And Phoebe Solaria Urawa closed her eyes and beamed.   
The sky was impossibly bluer. It was certain.  
************  
  
"Terry, will you please pass the rolls?"  
There was a grunt, a whoosh, and a thwack. Alexandra shook her head,   
trying to free her short tresses of breadcrumbs. In one hand was a broken   
roll, while the other hand was a tight fist. And it was shaking toward the   
young man at the end of the table.  
Pushing his glasses farther up on his nose, Terrence Chiba flashed the  
tomboy a charming smile and buried himself in his waffles.  
It was a typical breakfast at the Ten'ou-Hartford-Chiba household. As   
they had since the day their large family was one, they gathered around the   
dining room table, sharing a meal together, almost complete, for the first   
time since Haley had left. But pots and pans collided in loud clangs, dishes  
clattered against cups, and silverware thumped onto the floor. Add to this   
two women and their son-in-law discussing politics, a fussing baby, and   
cousins bickering over cartoon superheroes, and the noise was to a level so   
far beyond unbearable that no one could describe in words.  
Perhaps that was the main reason no one heard the door to the room   
open. The hinges were silent, and the footfalls of the last resident of the   
said household were quiet enough to not be heard by anyone. No floorboards   
creaked, no words were said, and no one looked to the doorway.  
She leaned against the wall, her face to her family and back pressed   
against the smooth wood as she took in the scene before her. Haley and   
Peter, the two brunettes at the table, were emerged in a heated conversation  
over who would win in an all-out mecha war: the boys from Gundam Wing, or   
the three pilots from Neon Genesis Evangelion. On the teen's far side was   
little Aeris, her long tresses half up and half down as she engrossed   
herself in her meal of pancakes and tea. Her father was half-heartedly   
talking over the single empty chair to Hannah Hartford, and he occasionally   
shot comments across the table, retorting Brian's conservative thoughts on   
the way that the world was being run. Lastly, the Ten'ou wives and the short  
blonde man were discussing Serenity's rule versus the iron-fisted rule of   
any other totalitarian government, and how utopia and Communism were similar  
in nature.   
She chuckled and crossed her arms over her pajama top, just taking in   
the sights. It had been seeming years since she'd last been in close   
quarters with her family, even those her 'years' were but brief months.  
Suddenly, the head of the small Chiba girl perked up and whipped   
around. Colorful eyes locked with two brightly burgundy orbs, and a fork   
clattered loudly onto china before rolling off the table and onto the   
carpet. Silence fell over the group as Aeris gasped, and everyone turned to   
see what was so very interesting.  
With a slight smile, Susan Chiba brushed a strand of mused green hair   
from her face and cocked her head to one side. "Did I miss much?" she   
inquired coyly.  
Peter leapt out of his chair, careening toward his mother at a speed   
almost frightening. "MOMMY!" he screeched before burying himself in the arms  
of his tall parent. Tears streamed from his red eyes. "I missed you SO   
much!"  
The Guardian of Time hugged her son back, stooping down to lay a kiss   
on his forehead. But her bright eyes never left the gaze of her stoic   
daughter, and she watched the child like a huntress watched pray before the   
killing was to take place.  
Logic and love clashed in the mind of the smallest Sailor Scout as the  
girl placed her napkin on her plate and clambered down from her seat. Thick  
bangs hung in her eyes, but she didn't push them away. She stared at her   
mother, mask unwavering, not sure what to do. One hand clutched the back of   
Haley's chair as she gazed longingly at the woman she'd missed for so long.  
"Mother..." she whispered, her precocious maturity trying to push its   
way into the front of her mind. "I am happy to see you, again..."  
Susan's face fell. Despite how adult her daughter was, she'd expected   
much more in her return. An unbidden tear crept into her left eye, and she   
forced it away as she gazed at the child. "Aeris?" she questioned softly,   
her whisper little more than a mouthing as she pursed her pink lips   
together.  
And that was all that the girl needed. "MOMMY!" she yelled, rushing   
toward the woman, her silken tresses streaming behind her like a cape as she  
pushed her brother away and wrapped her arms around the neck of the   
crouching woman. "Mommy!" Tears fell down her cheeks, but she didn't attempt  
to push them away as she immersed herself in the loving embrace. "I missed   
you more than anything!" she sobbed into her mother's shirt. "I'm so very   
glad you're home!"  
And, his own green eyes teary as he watched his children and wife   
reunite, Terrence Chiba smiled.  
************  
  
Sighing, the brunette woman hung up the phone. For a moment, she just   
stared down at the receiver, her emerald eyes sparked with tears as she   
gazed down at the small device.  
Then, wordless, she collapsed onto the couch, eyes staring up at the   
vast expanse of whiteness that was the ceiling.  
Beside her sat a man, eternally young, dressed in a pair of plaid   
boxers and a ratty T-shirt. His chestnut eyes stared at the ponytailed   
woman, and he smiled slightly. Of course, it had been young Alice who had   
called, and she was probably going out to breakfast after a night of parties  
and dancing. And that would upset any single mother, especially one who was   
about to lose her only child to college.   
But the smile didn't fade.   
Reaching out with a single hand, he brushed a strand of hair from her   
eyes. The subtle motion caused her to turn her head. She gaped at the man,   
the display of emotion, no matter how small, unusual to no end. "Ken?" she   
whispered softly, staring with wide eyes.  
Smirking, the man took his best friend into his arms and hid his face   
in her soft, smooth tresses. "Leets," he breathed, the word tickling the   
back of her neck, "I just wanted to remind you how much I really do love   
you."  
She gasped and blinked, completely awe-struck. But the strong embrace   
didn't loosen even as she tried to force herself free.  
He took in the scent of her hair, the feel of her body in his arms,   
and sighed wistfully. Years ago, when they had both been nothing more than   
dream-filled teenagers, he'd lost the chance to call her his own. She'd   
slipped through his fingers like grains of sand, and he had lived to regret   
it. No woman had ever looked at him the way she had, and he'd never felt as   
secure and happy with anyone beyond her. And that was frightening.   
But he kept her in her place, halfway in his lap, and lifted his head.  
Gently, he turned her head so he could look fully in his eyes, and he smiled  
at her, brown eyes filled with love.  
"I'm sorry I ever let you go," he apologized, laying a soft kiss on   
her forehead. She just stared, both amazed and delighted, as he caressed her  
cheek lightly with his thumb and continued. "But I love you, Lita. I've   
always loved you." He gulped back the growing lump in his throat. "Alice is   
going to graduate in less than a week, and... This apartment is too big for   
you alone..." All his valor took a flying leap out the window as he was   
melted by a green-eyed gaze.  
Lita tucked a single loose hair behind her ear and pursed her lips,   
trying to read his dopey expression. But, as always, she was helpless to   
understand his ramblings, and she cocked her head to the side. "What... What  
are you saying?" she stammered, confused.  
He swallowed and ran his fingers across the nape of her neck,   
delighting in the little shivers he caused. "I'm going to move in here," he   
stated, the sudden bluntness causing the woman to blink confusedly. "I don't  
want to screw up and loose you again. I've done that enough times, already."  
Without a word, the brunette practically pounced on her destined, her   
lips searching for and finding his. Ken fell backward on the couch, the   
woman atop him, as he succumbed to years of pent-up passion and want.  
And then, less than three minutes later, the doorbell rang. The loud   
peal of the bell caused Lita to shudder, and she glanced down at the man who  
was kissing her neck. Immediately, her hands shot out from under his T-shirt  
and she gulped.   
"Ken..." she hissed urgently, trying to ignore the soft kisses and   
occasional nips at her throat. "That was Alice on the phone, and she called   
for a reason..."  
She thought she heard a "so?" from somewhere between her neck and   
chest, but she wasn't certain.  
A keycard scraped in a lock.   
"So," she returned quickly, her green eyes staring warily at the   
doorway, "Alice and her friends are coming HERE for breakfast!"  
He froze, as though a hundred ice cubes had just been dropped down his  
boxers.  
And the door swung open.  
There was a pause in which no one moved. A good dozen teenagers were   
grouped in the hallway of the apartment building, Alice leading the throng,   
staring. And Lita just bit her lower lip, not knowing a graceful way to   
clamber off the man below her.  
Raking a hand through his mused hair, Ken smiled sweetly. "How was   
prom, dear?" he questioned of his daughter, as though there was no one atop   
him.  
The auburn-haired teen just buried her head in her hands, wordless.  
************  
  
She gentle swooshing sound of a broom's bristles against cobblestone   
echoed across the temple courtyard as the teen swept leaves and dirt from   
the sidewalk in front of Cherry Hill Temple.  
The fresh spring breeze ruffled her priestess robes as she turned her   
tanned face to the skies, taking in the vast blueness of it all. Never   
before had she noticed the complete perfection of planet Earth.  
She turned back to her sweeping.  
Yes, there had been some bad patches in her life--even if she WAS only  
sixteen. But all the horrors and nightmares that she'd struggled through   
were just part of living out a tiny part in the great performance that was   
life; each battle, large or small, was just a snag in her personal thread of  
fate.  
And some people in the world had tiny fates, supposedly insignificant.  
But each leaf that was a single human filled out the beautiful tree. And   
each strand of yarn made the sweater more elaborate, more irreplaceable.  
"Hey, Sissy!" called a young voice, and she pulled herself from her   
thoughts to stare down at the little boy. His shaggy tresses were mused by   
the wind as he held out a single slip of paper.  
A prayer.  
"Will you hang this for me, Sissy?" questioned the child, his violet   
eyes sparkling as he grinned up at her. "There aren't any branches low   
enough for me to reach!"  
She chuckled at his antics and gently plucked the small sheet of   
paper, her sandals echoing on stone as she started toward the prayer tree,   
brother in tow.  
'I wish that everything will stay the same...forever.' Her olive eyes   
were attacked by tears as she read the messy statement.  
Folding the prayer into a small strip, Tara Yuuichirou raised her face  
to the sunshine, breathing in the scent of flowers and the peace of spring.  
"Yeah," she whispered hoarsely, clutching a single fist over her   
heart. "So do I."  
************  
  
"Good morning, Lyra!" called a friendly voice from behind her. She   
turned around, blonde curls whipping through the air and blue skirt ruffling  
in the breeze. Her light brown eyes sparkled as she grinned at her friend.  
Tara brushed a strand of mused black hair from her face and smiled in   
kind, staring at the girl who she had, for months, completely forsaken. Her   
olive-colored eyes glittered in the light of morning as she crossed the   
patio in front of Crossroads School. Her black shoes echoed on the pavement   
as she walked, the clomping carrying in the breeze as she turned to stare up  
at the sign on the brick building.  
"It's been a wild ride," she commented casually, gripping her book bag  
with both hands as she gazed at the school, "but we're still here."  
Her blonde friend smirked at this. "Yeah... Back just in time to take   
our finals, like good little soldiers."  
The miko of Cherry Hill Temple giggled, her pink lips curving into a   
jovial smile. Then, she sighed wistfully and let her shoulders droop a bit.   
"Do you think that we've done a bad job with the Earth?" she asked, her tone  
soft and uncertain. "Or do you think that we've saved it as best we could?"  
With a long intake of breath, the older girl smiled slightly and   
glanced at her friend. "Well," Lyra considered, "I think we did the best job  
we knew how to do." She slung her bag over one shoulder, still focused on   
the taller teen. "It's hard to say, though..."  
"Yes," agreed the Shinto softly, "it is."  
"But we can at least ask Reeny's opinion at the Scout Meeting, right?"  
mused the blonde with a cheery gleam in her eye as she skipped toward the   
front foyer of the school.   
Tara laughed at her friend and took off after her, grinning all the   
way.  
************  
  
He smoothed the wrinkled fabric of his silver silk pants, watching as   
the young woman shoved the last of her belongings into a small burlap sack.   
Her bright eyes, the color of the rising moon, refused to glance up from her  
work, and he knew why she was acting as such.  
She didn't want to cry.  
Beside her was a young man, his arms laden with two huge, leather-  
covered books, and he braved a smile at the silver-tressed man. The white   
robes, embroidered with the symbols that indicated his priestly level, were   
crisp and clean, flowing around his muscular body with a gentle breeze.   
Moss-green waves of hair rimmed his face, and deep chestnut eyes stared   
straight forward.  
Then, he closed said eyes and rubbed the back of his neck guiltily.   
"Well," he gulped, his smile growing both larger and more forced, "I guess   
we'd best be going, now."  
"Hn," grunted the woman, still hunched over her small bag.  
"I hope that you won't hate us, Master," the tall man continued,   
pursing his lips and allowing the fake grin to fade. "We went against your   
wishes, we smarted off, and then Abigail--with my prodding--used a forbidden  
spell to awaken the Princess, something that had not been done for hundreds   
of years."  
Helios, the Master of Elysion and the most powerful priest in the   
world, chuckled at the younger man's ramblings. "Brice," he smiled, his   
bright azure eyes sparkling with mirth, "you also saved the life of the   
woman I am to marry." He bowed deeply at the young man. "As soon as you get   
back to Elysion, you are an active First Priest--second only to Abigail, of   
course."  
"Well," drawled the woman coyly, slinging her bag over one shoulder,   
"I guess he'll ALWAYS be second in command, then!" Her master sent her an   
odd look, to which she responded by flipping her long blue tresses. "Come   
now, Master Helios," she chided, wagging a finger toward him as if he were a  
naughty pet. "You cannot honestly tell me that, after you marry the   
Princess, you will return to Elysion." His nose wrinkled at the impudent   
comment, but his only reply was the toss of a head. This caused her smirk to  
grow. "Thought so."  
Shaking his head slowly, Brice sighed. "I'm truly sorry, Master," he   
apologized in a low tone, brown eyes glancing at the woman beside him in a   
mixture of appreciation and annoyance. "She can be quite a handful."  
The other man smiled. "I believe that is why I chose her to lead the   
way for others," he returned, and--for the first time--the young woman with   
the sky-colored hair flushed. In an almost wary manner, he reached forward   
and took one of her hands in his, laying a gentle kiss on its pale skin.   
"Master of Elysion," he breathed, lively eyes reinforcing his request   
without words, "take good care of the world I love."  
Straightening, he smiled knowingly at Brice. "And you, First Priest,"   
he jokingly chided, "take good care of HER."   
Then, without words or magic, he was gone, footsteps echoing on marble  
as he strode quickly out of the guestroom.   
Blinking at the now-closed door, the young woman who was also the High  
Priest of Elysion furrowed her brow. "He's certainly changed since he came   
to be with his Maiden," she murmured, tone somewhere between adoring and   
confused.   
"We've all changed," responded her second-in-command, reaching out and  
seizing one of her hands. "But it's for the better."  
She couldn't argue with that.  
************  
  
They seemed to be the perfect couple.  
She was tall, thin, exotic, and elegant, with calf-length tresses the   
color of rainforest. Bright eyes, the color of wine, gazed out at the world   
through small, black-rimmed glasses. Even in her rather plain outfit of   
khaki shorts and a long-sleeved T-shirt, she looked the picture of feminine   
beauty, a single hand held by her companion.  
And her companion was a young man, his messy brown hair hanging   
partially in his eyes, fading highlights of blonde still sparkling in the   
afternoon sun. A goatee, both messy and yet still very fitting, covered his   
chin as glasses, edged in gold, covered two excited green eyes. He wore his   
usual tan suit, which was both wrinkled and a bit too big, but he didn't   
seem to care. He was grinning.  
Sighing, Susan Chiba glanced up at the blue sky, her eyes staring up   
at the clouds and birds above them. "It's so strange to be taking a walk   
without the kids," she breathed, using her free hand to push a green tress   
from her face. "Do they really need to be in school, Terry?"  
Her husband scoffed. "Did you really expect ME to home-school the   
Plutonian twins?" he gaped, eyes widening as he mentally considered the   
suggestion. "I could just IMAGINE the mess I'd make of that, and our poor   
heirs..."  
She chuckled. "I suppose you're right," she nodded, a sweet smile   
curving her pink lips. "You would make quite a mess of things."  
"I didn't mean it like THAT," he defended with a wrinkle of his nose,   
scowling.  
Laughing a second time, Susan found herself content to admire the   
lush, green beauty of Tokyo Central Park. It was, after all, a wonderful   
spring day, and she had been gone for so long... Her smile slipped slightly,  
turning wistful as she remembered the past she'd just helped to save. THIS,   
the budding trees, blooming flowers, and chirping birds, was what she'd   
fought so hard to protect. And now, she had everything she had ever wanted:   
a husband who would never betray her, two adorable young children who she   
loved more than life itself, a doting family who supported her, no matter   
what, and a beautiful world to live in.  
It was the perfect life.  
"You know," drawled the young man at her side pensively, his green   
eyes searching her face for any emotion whatsoever, "I've really been   
thinking about the twins in the last couple days..."  
Susan furrowed her brow and stared at him, her gift of stoicism   
masking her overwhelming confusion. "Really?" she questioned, her voice   
pretty much level barring a single hint of surprise.   
He nodded hesitantly, as though he feared his life. "And I was   
thinking that...well..." Terrence forced a bright smile. "Sets, let's have   
another baby."  
And then, it came to a jarring halt.  
Setsuna 'Susan' Chiba, the Guardian of Time and Sailor Soldier of the   
Planet Pluto, froze in her tracks. Red eyes stared, unblinking, at her   
husband. Not a portion of her body moved an inch. She'd even stopped   
breathing.  
"Did..." She gulped back the lump in her throat and took a deep   
breath. "Did you just say what I think you said?"  
His eyes, too, went wide as he replayed the scene in his head. "Did   
*I* just say what I think I said?" he gasped at himself, shocked. Green eyes  
stared blankly at the woman as he tried to remember. "I had thought it in my  
head, and then told myself I was going to change the subject because I knew   
you'd react like this, and then I thought that I should ask you how the past  
was, and then I said that..." He groaned to himself, scrunching his eyes   
shut. "I think my mind and mouth aren't attached right, Sets..."  
She chuckled and took his hand again, as though the previous comment   
had just melted into oblivion. "Well," she returned pensively, "I guess we   
can THINK about it." She winked a red eye. "Frankly, just the TRYING is the   
best part..."  
Terrence tried to hold back a triumphantly goofy grin, but it got him   
nowhere. "Really?" he questioned.  
And his wife nodded.  
It was good to be home.  
************  
  
"Mmm! What good brownies!" praised the blonde girl cheerily, her small  
mouth stuffed full of the thick, chocolately treats as she grinned at the   
young adult in the kitchen. "Where'd you get the recipe?"  
Beaming at the chirping of her friend's sister, Alice brushed a strand  
of hair from her eyes. "My mother used to make them for Scout Meetings in   
the past," she responded, setting a plate laden with cookies and Rice   
Krispies Treats beside the platter of chocolate brownies on the counter. "I   
thought it only appropriate."  
The navy-braided teen, slumped against the large, almond-colored   
refrigerator, rolled her eyes at this comment. Snatching a celery stick from  
yet another platter, she glanced around the kitchen and over the counter   
that connected it to the living room. "Where IS everybody?" she questioned,   
wrinkling her nose as she chomped on the crunchy vegetable. Her icy eyes   
glanced at the brunette who was languidly stretched out on the couch, and   
then at the Pluto twins, both of whom were enthralled in a documentary on   
crime. Finishing off the celery, she examined the platter it came from,   
scrutinizing the radishes, carrots, and cherry tomatoes. "And, more so," she  
turned to her wavy-haired friend, glaring playfully, "WHERE is my spinach? I  
ASKED you to get spinach!"  
Sighing, Alice pressed past the dramatic girl and tugged open the   
refrigerator, nearly throwing Phoebe into the wall in doing so. "HERE!" she   
announced, thrusting a large, plastic baggie filled with hunter-colored   
leaves toward her friend. "Your spinach, Princess."  
Phoebe grinned and ruffled the auburn tresses that rimmed her   
companion's face. "You're too good to me, you know that?" she asked   
rhetorically, accompanying the question with a sly, flirty wink.  
"And, in response to the question about everyone else," piped up the   
brunette suddenly, her elbows resting on the counter as chestnut strands   
fell almost--but not quite--into the plate of cookies and marshmallowy   
treats, "you should know that Reeny is ALWAYS late!" She chuckled down and   
grabbed a brownie, successfully pulling it from the reach of the pigtailed   
girl. "And Tara said she was catching a flick with Sebastian today, and you   
KNOW what that means..." Taking a little nibble of the sweet, she chewed   
pensively. "Which leaves Richard and Lyra, which means those two are   
probably getting some..." Haley's teal eyes flared as she smirked and   
devoured the rest of the brownie in one bite.  
"Getting what?" questioned Celeste, resting her chin on the dark green  
countertop as she peered up at the older girl.   
All three teens paled noticeably, not really willing to answer the   
too-innocent question of a rather sweet blonde girl. Luckily, the door burst  
open at that very moment, adding a chorus of loud voices, both female and   
male. Shoes were slid off, clunking onto the tile of the foyer as the   
throng of bodies pushed into the Kino living room.   
The first to enter was the pink-haired Princess of the Earth and Moon,  
clad in her navy-and-white college uniform. "Ooh! Kino food!" she exclaimed   
excitedly, nearly pouncing on the platters of treats spread out before the   
group. Within seconds, crumbs and chocolate smears dotted the area around   
her lips as she shoveled as much food in her mouth as she could.  
Helios chuckled to himself, watching the young woman eat. "Well,   
knowing that she died certainly did not ruin any appetite," he observed with  
a knowing smile.   
"Did you actually think it WOULD?" snorted Alice, coming out of the   
kitchen with her spinach-munching friend hot on her heels.   
Phoebe shook her head. "Don't you ever get sick of playing the cynic?"  
she questioned wryly, raising a single navy eyebrow.  
Chuckling, Tara plopped into an armchair, but not before reaching into  
the braid-headed one's bag and pulling out a few dark leaves for herself.   
"Why would she get bored with it?" she retorted slyly, looping one leg over   
the arm of her seat as she stared up at the auburn-haired one. "She likes   
causing trouble... Right, jerk-face?"  
"Of course, melon-brain," replied Alice before she sunk into the   
couch.  
The navy-tressed one scowled and bopped the miko on the head with her   
bag. "Mine," she stated plainly.  
"Alice or the spinach?" quipped the curly-haired one as she, dragging   
Richard behind her by a hand, crossed the apartment toward the sweets.   
"Perhaps both," put in Aeris rather softly, her colorful eyes flashing  
silver, despite the fact she never glanced up from the television set. A   
slight smile touched her lips.  
Phoebe turned eighteen different shades of red, and all the older   
Scouts began to laugh.  
Ambriel tugged on the school blouse of her blonde-haired friend.   
"'Leste," she whispered, her gray eyes darting to the group and then back to  
the older girl, "I don't get it."  
A sheepish grin crossed the face of the girl otherwise known as the   
Keeper of the Nebulae. "Uhh..." She coughed nervously and patted the shorter  
child on the head, musing her red tresses. "It doesn't mean much."   
"Well, is this meeting going to come to order or WHAT?" questioned   
Haley languidly, seizing the plate of vegetables as she went to sit cross-  
legged on the walnut coffee table. "Because I have to finish packing if I'm   
ever going to make it to South Bend by Friday."  
Resting her elbows on her knees, the auburn-haired one leaned forward,  
glancing about the room at her friends. "And I graduate Thursday," she   
breathed, her brown eyes growing teary. "And, come fall, I enroll in   
college."  
"You do, don't you?" questioned Phoebe softly, her chewing slowing as   
she pondered her friend's comment. "Fall's going to bring quite a few   
changes for all of us, isn't it?"  
Celeste, sitting cross-legged on floor in front of Tara's armchair,   
shook her head slowly. "Not for all of us," she responded, glancing up at   
the braid-headed teen as she spoke. Her voice grew deep, rumbling with the   
awesome timelessness that was the Keeper of the Nebulae's voice. But she was  
smiling, and that was one thing that the Keeper did not do. "A few of us,"   
she continued, a slight hint of amusement in her tone, "will remain the   
same. But some..." She glanced meaningfully at the still-eating Princess and  
her exasperated Prince, bright, pine-green eyes then dropping to gaze toward  
the blue-haired spinach enthusiast, the brunette on the coffee table, and at  
the two heirs to Pluto, both of whom were still staring at the television.   
"Some will say vows before a marble altar..."  
Reeny dropped her brownie to the floor, not noticing as it crumbled to  
bits at her feet. Helios flushed and took a quick side step away from her.  
"...some will star in roles we can only dream of..."  
Choking on her spinach, Phoebe doubled over, face turning a shade of   
red that perfectly matched the Princess' eyes.  
"...some will take college as a chance to catch up on lost love..."  
Haley dropped a carrot into the little bowl of ranch dressing that sat  
in the epicenter of the plate, and the white goop splattered both her shirt   
and the coffee table.  
"...and some will become the active Guardians of Time."  
Standing, the green-haired child stood and paced to the television,   
switching it off silently.  
Smiling, Celeste steepled her fingers complacently, her cool stare   
still circling the room slowly.  
The Princess of the Earth swallowed nervously. "May this meeting of   
the Galactic Sailor Scouts come to order," she croaked uneasily, crossing   
the room to join Alice and the Pluto twins on the couch.  
Lyra, who was sharing the loveseat with her red-haired boyfriend as   
she was oft apt to do, glanced around the room at the various embarrassed   
individuals. "Hold your horses, here," she commanded in a confused tone, her  
light brown eyes darting about as she spoke. "You mean to tell me that   
'Leste's not making this all up?"  
Silence blanketed the room, sending several of the occupants to seek   
refuge in avoiding the teen's gaze. Both Phoebe and Haley were still   
blushing, their faces as crimson as ever before; the silver-haired Priest of  
Elysion was pacing behind the couch, his hands thrust deep into pockets;   
Reeny's scarlet eyes were studying the tan shag of the carpeting for all it   
was worth; and the two Pluto twins were sitting side-by-side, completely   
stoic, neither speaking.  
"Come ON!" pressed little Ambriel, hopping off the arm of the loveseat  
to stand right in front of them all, tiny, balled fists resting on equally   
thin hips. Her gray eyes were lowered in a displeased glare. "We've been   
through all sorts of shit together--"  
"AMBRIEL!" scolded her two demi-parents, scowling at the girl's use of  
language.  
"--and we'll be through more of the same." She sighed and shook her   
head. "It's a sad day in Crystal Tokyo when all my best friends can't share  
the important happenings in their lives..." A single tear traced its way   
down a pale cheek.  
Alice's chestnut eyes blinked in befuddlement. "Damn," she murmured,   
her whisper breaking the uneasy silence in the room, "that girl must be   
taking acting lessons from Pheebs."  
A bag of spinach smacked her across the face.  
Still, the room was deadly quiet, the breathing of warriors big and   
small echoing through the chamber...  
"Well," drawled the brunette boy from his spot between his twin and   
Alice Kino, "'Leste IS telling the truth." Colorful eyes darkened to black   
as the green-haired girl glowered at her brother. He ignored it, red eyes   
glancing around the room nervously. "Mother has resigned as the Guardian of   
Time, which makes Aeris and me the two Guardians."  
Sighing miserably, his sister nodded her agreement. "He speaks the   
truth," she lamented, the displeasure in her voice remaining unhidden. "We   
now must serve as the active Guardians of Time, our only possible   
replacement being the Moon Cat, Diana."  
The Princess of the Earth snorted at that, but Aeris sent her a cool   
glance. She silenced herself.  
"And she wasn't lying about me, either," the braid-headed one stated,   
folding the top over her bag of veggies as she stared at her purple   
slippers. "I tried out for a movie a while back, and...well..." Her face   
reddened even further. "And I got the part." A few assorted gasps echoed   
through the room, and she felt all the eyes upon her go wide. She blushed   
again. "Yeah, well, I get to go to America," she continued meekly, her icy   
eyes darting from friend to friend as a smile crossed her face. "And Alan   
Gerbecki's my co-star--"  
Tara interrupted with a dreamy sigh. "What a BABE!" she announced,   
clutching both hands to her chest as she leaned further back in her seat.   
"I'd like to get me a piece of that action!"  
"--and it's just a movie." But her grin widened past the realms of   
modesty, and she finally gave up on playing the meek one. "Oh, who am I   
kidding?" she questioned, clasping her hands together excitedly. "This is my  
big break, and I've never been happier!" She sighed and leaned back against   
the couch, her blue eyes half-closed. "Who knows what will happen next, eh?"  
Clearing her throat timidly, the Princess of the Earth straightened   
her spine and smoothed the fabric of her navy skirt. "Well, I think that   
there will be a wedding," she responded to the rhetorical question of her   
friend, extending a single hand into the air as she said this. "Perhaps my   
Galactic Sailors would stand up in it for me."  
Breaths were inhaled sharply as everyone stared at the golden ring   
encircling the young woman's finger. The single, silvery diamond sparkled in  
the lights of the living room. Reeny's face slowly turned the color of her   
hair as she shivered under the stare of so many eyes.  
"What?" she squeaked, reeling backwards as all her friends gazed at   
her like so many ravenous vipers. "It's not like we've been hiding this for   
TOO long!"  
Helios cringed at his fiancée's exclamation, knowing immediately that   
she'd just signed her death certificate.  
"'TOO long?'" quoted the auburn-haired Scout, crossing her arms over   
her bosom as she spoke. "When did he actually pop the question, then?"  
The blush on the pink-haired one's face deepened as she wrinkled her   
nose at the comment. "Uhhh... Well..."  
Curls bounced as Lyra leaned over her boyfriend to rest her chin on   
the loveseat's arm nearest her Princess. "Before or AFTER we killed Tina?"   
she questioned.  
"Before..."  
"Before or after Rich and Lyra got it on?" inquired Phoebe, her braids  
flying as she practically pounced on the embarrassed college student.  
Two faces turned bright red and glared at her. "WE DID NOT GET IT ON!"  
they chorused.  
Pausing for a minute, red eyes demurely focused on the white ceiling,   
the Princess of the Earth pondered that question. "About the same time, I   
would guess," she wagered with a shrug of her shoulders.  
Sighing, the redheaded man pushed his glasses further up on his nose,   
the annoyance on his face unmistakable. "Will they EVER believe us?" he   
grumbled, resting his head in a hand.   
"No, dear, they won't," retorted Lyra, settling into his lap and   
planting a kiss on the very tip of his nose. "But let's just not let it get   
to us."  
Phoebe sniggered. "Too late!"  
Ambriel, who had sunk to a sitting position in the middle of the floor  
long ago, counted on her fingers, gray eyes lowered at herself as she did   
so. "Hmmm..." she mumbled, her tiny pink lips pursed. "Then, according to   
Celeste, that leaves..."  
The coffee table creaked as a good hundred-twenty pounds of brunette   
slowly stood. "Well," thought Haley aloud, setting the nearly empty plate of  
vegetables on the table, "I've got work to do, SOOO..."  
"Sit!" commanded several voices in unison, and the teal eyes glanced   
nervously about the room, only to find that the five sets of eyes belonging   
to her original Galactic Sailors were focused completely and totally on her.  
She pursed her lips and forced a smile.  
"I think," she put in, slowly taking her seat upon the tabletop once   
again, "that Celeste is just one French fry short of a Happy Meal, that's   
all." The nervousness in her voice was unmistakable, however, and she forced  
a cute little laugh. "Then again..."  
Phoebe rested her hands behind her head, lounging further back in the   
chair she had long ago dubbed as 'hers.' "Eric's going to South Bend with   
you?" she inquired in a falsetto tone, smiling evilly. "Or did I   
misunderstand our ever-sweet Keeper?"  
The blonde girl on the floor tossed a pigtail. "You didn't miss a   
thing," she responded in a soft, sweet tone, her green eyes sparkling.  
Snaking a finger under her shirt collar, the young woman blew a few   
strands of brown hair from her face. "Well...yeah..." she croaked. Then, her  
head snapped up and she lowered her eyes to a glare. "But it's all the fault  
of that funny little Irish teen!" she declared loudly, her fists clenching.   
"That girl... I don't even know her name..."  
"Joan?" asked the redheaded child, resting her chin on a balled fist.   
Her gray eyes stared up at Haley. "Why would Joan make Eric agree to go to   
America with you?"  
"Well, she didn't... Exactly..." She wrinkled her nose in thought,   
then threw her hands up in the air. "I give up!" she announced. "Eric IS   
coming with me when I go to college!" Aqua eyes lowered to a dark, angry   
glare toward a certain golden-tressed child. "HAPPY?"  
Celeste just grinned.  
Red eyes lowered and pink eyebrows knitted in thought as Reeny slowly   
counted out...something...on her fingers. "Well, we've talked about the   
engagement," she said to herself, unawares that everyone else was staring   
blankly at her, "and about Haley's leaving. And now we know about Phoebe's   
movie and the Pluto twins. That just leaves one thing..."  
All gazes turned directly to the raven-haired priestess, who was still  
in her strange sitting-laying position in the single armchair. She looked up  
from biting her fingernails and swallowed rather guiltily, olive eyes   
immediately darting about and avoiding meeting any other gazes.   
"Uhh... Do you need something?"  
Brown eyes lowered quite a bit, sparkling with enlightenment. "How'd   
you get your locket back?" questioned Lyra, her brow furrowed as she stared   
at her friend. "It had to be magic or something..."  
Flushing, Tara glanced at the floor. "I guess it came back because   
being a Scout what I'm meant to be." She shrugged slightly, her eyes focused  
on her folded hands. "And I guess that destiny is what brought it back."  
"Either that," nodded one with the auburn waves, "or it was dumb   
luck."  
With a chuckle, Celeste smiled up at all her friends. "I don't think   
it's luck," she countered as she glanced about the room. "I think that it's   
part of all of us, to be destined, and to be one."  
Nodding slightly, the heiress of Pluto smiled slightly. "I do not   
think that any of us could better express the bond we share as she just   
did."   
And no one could argue with that.  
************  
  
Navy robes and navy caps shone in the setting sun of Crystal Tokyo.   
The park was overwhelmed with both birds and people as three hundred   
students, smiling bravely, each took their moment in the light to accept   
their diplomas.   
"Tamara Laurilyn Kamikona."  
And, if one looked close enough not at the students, but at a tree   
that stretched to the heavens behind the crowd of parents and friends, one   
could make up the silhouette of five pretty, Sailor-suited soldiers.   
The Galactic Sailors.  
"Alice Aurora Kino."  
Auburn waves of hair cascaded down slender shoulders as the young   
woman, eighteen years old, accepted the leather-covered folder that   
contained her diploma. She smiled, shaking the hand of Crossroad School's   
principal, before starting down the aisle back to her seat. And as she moved  
her golden tassel from one side of her mortarboard to the other, she glanced  
up at the tree and smiled.  
The tears in her chestnut eyes, the tears of joy and love, glittered   
in the sunlight.  
And someone in the tree blew their nose.  
"Phoebe..." groaned Sailor Comet, shaking her head slowly as she   
watched the dramatic Sailor Scout wipe her tears and snot onto her red   
skirt. "You DO realize that you can't take a Sailor fuku to the cleaner's,   
right?"  
Ignoring the mean-spirited quip, the braid-headed teen sighed   
wistfully and clutched her folded hands to her chest. "She did it," she   
croaked, tears still tracing down her face. "She actually graduated high   
school... and with high honors. I'm so..." She pursed her lips for a long   
moment, as though trying to find the right words. "So..." A smile crossed   
her face, and all evidence of sadness left both her expression and her ice-  
blue eyes. "Impressed!" she chirped excitedly. "She ACTUALLY did it!"  
Rolling her red eyes, Sailor Moon elbowed her friend in the stomach.   
"Come ON, Phoebe!" she stressed, sending a pained look in the direction of   
the thespian. "Would you like it if, next year, Alice was all sarcastic to   
YOU?" The navy-haired one raised an eyebrow, and the leader of the Galactic   
Sailors sighed. "Next year, it's going to be Lyra and YOU in robes and   
hats."  
The previously mentioned blonde Scout rolled her brown eyes. "Caps and  
gowns, Reen," she corrected indulgently.  
"Whatever!"  
Silence fell over the five soldiers as they continued to watch the   
graduation ceremony, watching strangers and friends alike as they crossed   
the threshold to their new lives as adults. No one dared to speak as they,   
basking in the bright illumination of the setting sun, stared down at the   
people they had saved. The people they had fought for.   
Their people.  
"It's strange," commented Sailor Earth, her olive eyes filling slowly   
with tears as she glazed down upon the other students, "to see an era   
just...die...like this." She sighed softly, shaking her head a bit. "I can't  
imagine what life would have been like without Scout-dom, and now..."  
Forcing a brave smile, Sailor Comet clapped her friend on the back.   
"Yeah, Tara, you're right," she returned with a nod of her head, "but   
someday we'll look back on this mess and laugh at it all." She brushed a few  
walnut tresses out of her eyes. "You shouldn't worry."  
The curly-haired blonde nodded quickly. "And I certainly hope we laugh  
soon!"  
Shrugging, Sailor Phoenix leaned back against the trunk of the great   
oak tree, folding her slender arms over her chest and the burnt-orange bow   
there. "Well, it's doesn't matter," she pointed out, her icy eyes searching   
the expressions of her friends. "Where we go, life goes." She smiled sadly,   
her pink lips quivering a little as a genuine tear trailed down a pale   
cheek. She wiped it quickly away, frowning at herself. "We're the Galactic   
Sailors!" she announced, trying to hide the choking in her voice from her   
fellow Scouts. "That's what we DO!"  
The pink-haired Princess smiled gently at the braided one. "Forever."  
"And eternity," agreed the shrine maiden with a bob of her head.  
"Without regret," added the Princess of the Silver Star, fingering one  
of her star-shaped earrings. "Without remorse or retreat."  
The last Scout, the brunette, smiled. "Until the very end."  
Clapping her glove-covered hands together, the Sailor Scout of the Sun  
grinned excitedly. "Yeah!" she exclaimed. "This is the symphony of life,   
guys!"  
Sailor Earth brushed a strand of raven hair from her face. "And we're   
the musicians, aren't we?"  
Her curly-haired friend nodded. "That's how it has always been."  
"Ourselves and our 'instruments' singing for the world," sighed Comet,  
her teal eyes staring down at the grass and graduates pensively, "as it was   
always meant to be..."  
And Sailor Moon, her pink pigtails blowing in the wind and golden moon  
symbol on her forehead shining, glanced up at the rising moon. A single,   
silvery tear escaped a scarlet eye, tracing slowly down her cheek as she   
sighed. A smile parted her pink lips.  
"And the music plays on."  
************  
  
The Galactic Sailors Say!  
  
(The original six Sailor Scouts crowd onto the stage, forming a single line.  
They all smile sadly.)  
  
Moon: Sometimes, the hardest thing in the world is to say goodbye.  
  
Earth: (nodding) Goodbye. It's a hard thing, isn't it? I mean, you KNOW it's  
going to be forever when you really, TRULY, say goodbye.  
  
Polaris: (sighs) And there's a finality about it, too. A sort of heaviness   
to the word that makes your heart ache.  
  
Phoenix: And maybe THAT'S why goodbye is so sad. Because it makes you know   
it's all over.  
  
Aurora Borealis: After all, who wants to know that something's forever gone,  
over, ended?  
  
Comet: (smiles weakly) No one, that's who.  
  
Moon: So, we're not saying goodbye.  
  
(All the Sailor Scouts nod in agreement.)  
  
Polaris: We're saying the very thing we've always said, and that's that.  
  
Phoenix: We don't actually want to CRY!  
  
(Everyone glances at her.)  
  
Phoenix: What?  
  
Comet: So, I guess this is it.  
  
Earth: Show time.  
  
Aurora Borealis: Okay then...  
  
(The Gals all join hands, grinning, and take a deep breath.)  
  
Moon: From us to you...  
  
ALL: The Galactic Sailors Say...  
  
(They bow.)  
  
ALL: SEE YA!  
************  
  
And that, my friends, is the end of an era.  



End file.
